Just the third week into the college football 2025 season, and NFL scouts are already eyeing the best talents. And why not? The season has shown some of the greatest drama already, with major upsets and numerous notable performances turning heads. It is no surprise that the quarterbacks and running backs have been overshadowing other positions. And if your talent speaks, the NFL calls. Just like that, ESPN’s Draft Analyst and CFB insider Matt Miller named an unexpected running back to look out for in the future, who said, “Every time I touch the ball, I’m thinking I’m going to score.”

Miller took to X to praise the Missouri Tigers’ 19-year-old sophomore running back, Ahmad Hardy, as a player to watch out for in the future NFL drafts. Although it is too early for anyone in the sophomore year, Hardy’s performance is already gaining attention from the scouts. “He’s only a sophomore,” Miller wrote, “but Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy is a name we should be watching for future drafts. Runs with great contact balance and picks up a ton of yards after that first hit. Always falling forward kind of guy who can also pick up chunk yardage.”

In the season opener match against the Central Arkansas Bears, Hardy, the 5-10 running back with a 205 lb frame, scored a touchdown in the third quarter with a 4-yard run and crossed 100 yards with ten rushing attempts. Hardy and QB Beau Pribula made Missouri’s offensive line look solid and promising, which helped them secure their first win, 61-6. In the second match-up against the Kansas Jayhawks, Hardy landed the first touchdown with a 32-yard run and ran 112 yards, with 25 rushing attempts.

In the third match-up against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns this Friday, Hardy became the center of attention. He ran a total of 22 times for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns, where his second score was a home run, for 71 yards. Despite the home run, he still has an average of 7 yards per carry, and just took one half to cross the 100-yard mark, showcasing absolute domination. “There was a grown man on his back,” Mizzou linebacker Khalil Jacobs stated postgame. “I haven’t seen that in person before. That was a crazy thing to see, I ain’t gonna lie.” “I’d say he’s physical,” Tigers’ center Connor Tollison said of Hardy. “He plays behind his pads, he’s low, he’s hard to tackle. You know, he’s a really good back.”

Although it is too early, based on the first three weeks, it would be no surprise to him being a huge prospect in the future NFL draft, and a front-runner in this year’s Heisman Trophy.

Is Ahmad Hardy the best replacement for Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll?

After Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll‘s graduation last year, Missouri lost more than 1,400 combined yards and 15 touchdowns. However, Hardy and Beau Pribula’s first three-match performance could ease the pain. Hardy has been a major draw from the transfer, proving himself as a top freshman last season for Louisiana-Monroe. In his last season, he rushed for 1,351 yards, including eight 100-yard games, and scored 13 touchdowns among 237 attempts.

The 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds is at his best, making defenders miss and churning out yards after contact. He was one of seven players nationally to have 1,000 yards or more after contact (1,012) last season. Hardy forced 91 missed tackles, marking him the only third RB after Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo last year. His consistent 100-yard rush and timely TDs, cold strengthen the offensive line for the Tigers. Now, the Missouri Tigers can proudly say that their rushing game is in safe hands.