Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy cleared for football after shooting

Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared to return to football activities after suffering a gunshot wound to his leg in May, head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Monday at SEC Media Days. The star player's recovery timeline remains uncertain, but Drinkwitz expressed optimism about his eventual return to the field this season.

Hardy, a consensus All-American who transferred to Missouri last season, was shot while attending a concert in Laurel, Mississippi, on May 10. The bullet struck a bone in his leg, but Drinkwitz reported the injury has fully healed. Police later arrested Rashodrick Harris and charged him with aggravated assault in connection with the shooting. Harris was released on a $500,000 bond.

While cleared for activity, Hardy's exact return to play is still being determined. Drinkwitz indicated it could take five to eight weeks before Hardy is game-ready, a timeline that would cause him to miss at least Missouri's first two games of the season against Arkansas Pine-Bluff on September 3 and rival Kansas on September 11. His potential season debut could come against Troy on September 19.

Drinkwitz used the platform to comment on gun violence, stating...