Last season, only two defenders forced absent tackles to compete with Ahmed HadiAnd, both of them made it to the NFL roster through the draft.

Hardy forced those mistakes because he was a powerful runner, but he not only ran through people.

“It’s something I want to be perfect,” Hardy said. “A lot of people say I’m just a downhill runner, so I’m trying to make men miss and bypass tackles, not just escape tackles.”

Hardy Louisiana - Single His ability to remove himself from the ground was one of the biggest factors in his success.

"Whenever I get the ball, I'm like, 'Go and score, don't play,'" Hardy said. "...I'm one of those people who said I want my jersey to clean up after it's over. I don't like it, so I'm trying to get away from the ground."

Now, Hardy joins a Missouri Tigers, having performed well in past games over the past few years, initially by Cody Schraderand then continue Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll Last season.

Louisiana-Monroe also adopted an external regional program that led to a huge success as a freshman.

He said he knew he could succeed in the Tigers style as a big part of his decision to join Missouri.

“I feel like I’m perfecting my craft in the external area with a powerful run,” Hardy said.

Hardy will be the next one for more and more tigers running behind, showing their skills after moving to level up one or two.

Starting with Schrader and his 2,371 yards and 23 touchdowns, then posting 818 yards in 11 games with Carroll in 2024's team lead of 12 touchdowns, Hardy has big shoes to fill.

“Cody, I heard he was a walk and he created the record here,” Hardy said. "I know he's putting his work in, and of course we can see that we can see in his yard. I don't actually know...he has 1,600 yards, so I want to try to beat this record."

Hardy is one of the most popular players in the transfer portal, but this experience is different from the high school recruitment process for rising sophomores.

The 5-foot-10 guard is a starless recruit from Lawrence County High School, with a total of 650 students in four grades. Louisiana - Louisiana-Monroe is about two and a half hours from Monticello, Mississippi where Hardy grew up, the only partition I offer Hardy, but next time he gets a few more calls next time.

"Almost every team in the country is in touch with me," Hardy said. "But for Mizzou, I feel like it's like home. They're saying the right thing, the similar things, the coaches, the staff, they do their jobs and it feels like home. And the players, they welcome me in."

Now, Hardy brings the growth of a country to a team full of urban kids, among them, especially the horse Coco, who introduced them to his.

“I’m from Mississippi, I’m a country, these guys, they haven’t seen anything like that yet,” Hardy said of riding with his teammates. "They are from the city, so it's cool for them. But I've been doing it all my life, so I'm trying to introduce these guys."

At the end of spring practice, he said, only receivers Kevin Coleman Out so far.

"But half of the team wants to go," Hardy said.

When Hardy introduces his teammates to horseback riding and country music, he will introduce the rest of the SEC to one of the best defenders on the transfer portal last season while continuing to refine his craft and continue to grow.

“We’re all pushing each other to be great,” Hardy said. “Whoever starts in a certain position, we’re competing with each other every day, we’re all in love with each other.”