Overview
- Coach Eli Drinkwitz said Monday that Hardy has been medically cleared, that the bullet struck a bone in his leg and that the bone has healed.
- Hardy has started a structured return-to-play program overseen by Missouri’s medical, performance and nutrition staff with an expected five- to eight-week progression but uncertain final outcomes.
- Hardy was shot May 10 in Laurel, Mississippi, was released from the hospital days later, and police charged Rashodrick Harris with aggravated assault who was freed on a $500,000 bond.
- Missouri’s Sept. 3 opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff falls roughly six to seven weeks after the July 20 update, making a Week 1 return possible but not assured as the staff monitors recovery.
- Hardy led the FBS with 1,649 rushing yards in 2025, is viewed as a potential NFL prospect, and Drinkwitz used the update to condemn gun violence and stress a careful medical approach because there is limited research on returning to play after a bullet hit to bone.