Two running backs have already announced plans to enter the transfer portal, and another could come soon.
Missouri doesn’t appear to be at risk of losing Ahmad Hardy, but the rest of the Tigers’ running back room faces significant uncertainty heading into the offseason.
Two Missouri running backs — true freshmen Brendon Haygood and Marquise Davis — have already announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2. In addition, head coach Eli Drinkwitz revealed Tuesday that the program is working to retain redshirt sophomore Jamal Roberts.
Although Roberts played behind Hardy, a consensus All-American, the St. Louis native was an important piece of Missouri’s offense. He totaled 697 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 113 carries, while also leading the team’s running backs in receiving with 17 catches for 139 yards and a score.
Roberts’ production showed he’s capable of starting at the highest level of college football, which has made it challenging for Missouri to convince him to remain in a secondary role behind Hardy — both in terms of opportunities and compensation.
“It’s a tough situation,” Drinkwitz said. “You’ve got Ahmad Hardy, who’s a consensus All-American, but Jamal Roberts is as good a running back as there is in the country. How do you ask Jamal to take less to stay? That’s the reality.”
Hardy, meanwhile, has repeatedly shut down any talk of transferring and reiterated Tuesday that no teams have contacted him.
“I think they know I’m a Tiger, so they’re not reaching out,” Hardy said.
Roberts has spent three years earning his role in the program, and a potential portal move wouldn’t be a shortcut — it would simply be using the system to seek additional opportunity. That same avenue is what brought Hardy to Missouri after a standout freshman season at Louisiana-Monroe.
With new limits on revenue-sharing budgets, Drinkwitz has called for increased third-party NIL support to help retain players like Roberts, particularly from his hometown.
“If anyone in St. Louis has third-party NIL opportunities they’d like to explore to help keep Jamal here, we’d love to have that conversation,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s a terrific player, and we’d love for him to finish his career as a Tiger.”
As the transfer portal continues to emphasize immediate playing time, building and developing players internally has become increasingly difficult. Roberts has been an exception to that trend, but Missouri is already facing a year-to-year approach at running back with the departures of two freshmen. That situation would become even more uncertain if Roberts also leaves.
Hardy still has two years of eligibility remaining but is expected to enter the NFL Draft following his junior season in 2026. As a result, Missouri’s running back depth for 2026 — and especially 2027 — remains very much up in the air.
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