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Mizzou is preparing to take on Iowa in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Ahead of that matchup, the Tigers and every other college football team are dealing with a wild transfer portal cycle.
On Wednesday, the Tigers landed a commitment from standout running back Ahmad Hardy. The talented young back was identified as the No. 1 RB for Mizzou to target by SDS’s Adam Spencer on Wednesday.
Hardy excelled as a true freshman in 2024 for the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, rushing for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“New beginnings !!! Committed !!” said the RB in his announcement post on social media.
Hardy was not highly recruited out of Lawrence County High School in Monticello, MS. In fact, the 247Sports Composite did not give Hardy a star rating. Hardy committed to UL Monroe, however, and quickly proved he belonged at the highest level of college football.
The Tigers needed to add reinforcements at the RB position this offseason. The team’s leading rusher in 2024, Nate Noel, is out of eligibility, as is Marcus Carroll. Noel finished with 804 yards and 3 TDs in 2024, while Carroll finished with 578 yards and 13 TDs. Fellow RB Kewan Lacy transferred to Ole Miss, further weakening the depth of this room.
Hardy will presumably battle with Jamal Roberts and Tavorous Jones for carries in 2024. Last offseason, the Tigers added Noel and Carroll in the portal, with both having just 1 year of eligibility. Hardy, however, will have 3 years of eligibility remaining.
So far in this cycle, the Tigers have added 6 players in the portal while losing 12.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
