What happens when HC Eli Drinkwitz recruits a young, hungry RB who wants to prove he is one of the best? You get the “Mighty Man” who has been on a tear this season. Once a zero-star recruit who received few offers, Ahmad Hardy went from being overlooked at ULM to becoming a Heisman contender in his first season with the Missouri Tigers. But how has he managed to be so good for a first-timer in the SEC?

In the 9th October episode of Gruden Goes Long, Hardy addresses it all alongside QB Beau Pribula.
When Jon Gruden was asked how he feels about the fact that they’re 5-0 in the season, Hardy expressed, “I mean, I like winning for real. I have always been on a losing program. So, I come here, we’re undefeated right now.” Hardy didn’t have a fairytale start. He began his career on struggling teams and admits that winning wasn’t something he grew up around. But this season, he’s determined to change that narrative.

Raised in the small town of Oma, Mississippi, Hardy grew up in a crowded two-bedroom mobile home with his mother and three siblings. Money was scarce, but his mom made sure her kids stayed involved in school and sports. That early discipline and resilience now define the player the college football world knows as the nation’s leading rusher (730 yards already).

He was a standout player for ULM last season, rushing for 1351 yards on 237 carries and scoring 13 TDs. But these numbers were in the SBC. Replicating that at Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri was the real test, which Hardy has been passing so far, with 100+ rushes in all five games this season. He gave his flowers to the team for seamlessly helping him adjust to the SEC level. “The guys set the standard, and we upheld that standard, and we are holding up to the standard. So, just something that we all expect,” said Hardy, a feeling that Beau Pribula also shares.

Ahmad Hardy thinks his strongest attribute is his vision of play. “The way I hit the hole, I try to hit it full speed. I’m thinking of it as if I don’t get past the line of scrimmage before they do, then it’s a loss of yardage. So, I just try to get to my points as fast as I can and run the ball,” said Hardy. While Hardy leads the country in rushing with 730 yards, Pribula leads the SEC in completion percentage with 75.8% and has amassed 1,203 yards, with 9 passing touchdowns so far. The duo has contributed significantly to Missouri’s 5-0 start this season. While their numbers are great, it goes without question that the coaching staff also had a part to play in their success.

Eli Drinkwitz and Kirby Moore have built an offensive powerhouse this season

Even after winning the Music City Bowl last year, it was not enough for Eli Drinkwitz. Missouri had a fairly successful 2024 season, but there was room for improvement. And that is exactly what Drinkwitz and his OC Kirby Moore have worked on this season. Their transfer portal was focused on increasing offensive depth. This led to the addition of the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year award holder, Ahmad Hardy, and a Penn State talent in Beau Pribula.

New players have to adjust to HC’s tactics, rotations, and high-skill level opponents. But Beau Pribula found it easy because of Drinkwitz’s personality and demeanor. “It’s the expectation of excellence, and I think Coach Drink kind of carries his swagger and that chip on the shoulder mentality, and the entire team wants to be like that,” said Pribula. It gives us an understanding of how coaches inspire players to perform at their best, in this case, for the duo.

Beau Pribula also gave credit to OC Kirby Moore for creating a successful offensive playbook for Missouri. “They (Kirby and Drinkwitz) cook up special things in that offensive staff meeting room. Creating really good game plans for us to put us in the best position to win and be the best offense we can be,” conveyed Pribula.

Missouri’s offense has been excellent so far this season. In five games, they have had 247 attempts, 1,460 yards, and 18 TDs. They average 45.2 points per game, which is an indicator of their success. However, they have their first ‘real’ test of their season against Alabama on Saturday. A win against them will make Missouri a strong contender for the playoffs this season.