Transfer Portal Bio Blast: Ahmad Hardy

The winter transfer portal window officially opened on Monday. We’ve seen some heavy player movement and are expecting more over the next few days. Teams are working rapidly to get targets on campus for visits over the next few weeks to close these fast-paced recruitments.

Kentucky is working to get a visit scheduled with one of the top players in the portal.

ULM tailback Ahmad Hardy (5-10, 205) has become a college football free agent with three years of eligibility remaining. Kentucky is looking for a potential starter at tailback. Could this be the guy?

KSR’s Transfer Bio Blast takes a closer look at the Mississippi native that lit up the Sun Belt as a true freshman in a very one-dimensional offense.

Unranked recruit to star player

Ahmad Hardy was an unranked recruit out of Monticello (Miss.) Lawrence County who did not have a lot of options out of high school. The All-State performer rushed for 2,200 yards as a senior and ultimately signed with ULM to play for new head coach Bryant Vincent.

That production followed Hardy to Monroe.

The tailback rushed for 1,351 yards on 5.7 yards per rush and 13 touchdowns as a true freshman earning first-team All-Sun Belt honors. Ahmad Hardy went over 100 yards eight times in 12 games with 200-yard performances against Marshall and Arkansas State. Hardy produced those numbers playing in an offense that had one of the worst passing attacks (No. 130 in passing success rate) in college football.

Hardy finished the season ranked No. 11 nationally in rushing yards and produced a 14.8 percent explosive run rate. Only four players had more 30-plus yard rushes than the ULM tailback.

Touchdown #⃣5⃣ of the season for Ahmad Hardy to get us on the scoreboard 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DjQ0Du9GKn

— ULM Football (@ULM_FB) October 12, 2024

PFF credits Hardy with 96 missed tackles. Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty is the only tailback in college football to produce a bigger number that that. The rookie was legitimately one of the best rushers in college football this season.

Big boy transfer portal recruitment

Kentucky is attempting to move quickly in the battle for Ahmad Hardy. So are others. Ole Miss and Auburn each have visits scheduled with the Sun Belt transfer. Oregon is also in the conversation. This recruitment will be heated and a potential bidding war could happen at the negotiation table.

One year after being an unranked recruit, Hardy is now receiving a blue-chip recruitment in free agency market.

Luckett’s scouting notebook

Ahmad Hardy posted some big numbers in the Sun Belt playing in a zone-heavy scheme. To see how those numbers accumulated, we took a look at the tape.

This is my scouting write-up on the true sophomore tailback.

Ahmad Hardy is a one-cut, downhill runner who thrived in ULM’s zone scheme. Did most of his damage as a stretch zone runner. Showed good instincts and impressive contact balance. Consistently bounced off tackles and then could hit another gear in open space. Makes the first defender miss quite often and does a good job getting north/south for yards. Made some plays in limited action as a pass catcher but is a work in progress in pass protection. Ball security (3 fumbles in 237 carries) is a concern.

The All-Sun Belt transfer is best suited for a zone scheme where his one-cut running style can allow the tailback to make decisive reads and get downhill. Hardy runs behind his pads, is hard to tackle, and has some extra juice in the open field. Projects as a potential high-end power conference tailback with no doubt draft potential. Can be a true workhorse.