Kalen DeBoer isn’t looking forward to trying to slow down Mizzou star running back Ahmad Hardy on Saturday, but it doesn’t mean he couldn’t praise the sophomore sensation when speaking with reporters on Tuesday.
The Alabama head coach will have his hands full in Week 7 when his 8th-ranked Crimson Tide head to Columbia to face Hardy and the 14th-ranked Tigers. When the game kicks off at noon ET on ABC, the Alabama defense will be the latest unit tasked with trying to stop Hardy, who has been on a rampage this fall.
In just 5 games, Hardy has already rolled up 730 yards and 9 touchdowns, and he’s averaging a ridiculous 7.1 yards per carry. Hardy is the leading rusher in FBS, and he has a 37-yard cushion on the second-leading rusher. He’s put on a show, DeBoer knows it, and on Saturday it’s up to his defense to try to at least contain it.
“Statistically, he has a missed tackle — and it shows up on film — every other carry. He just keeps plays alive,” Kalen DeBoer said. “People think they’ve got him down and he’s still running. The yards after contact just blow your mind.”
Despite Hardy’s greatness this fall, it’s not like he wasn’t around to do any damage as a freshman. Last year, Hardy had 1,351 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns, which is certainly elite, especially for a freshman, but he’s on pace to shatter those numbers in 2025 provided he stays healthy.
For DeBoer’s defense, it’ll be a tall task as Alabama tries to become the first team to hold Hardy under 100 yards rushing in a game for the first time this season.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
