Midseason superlatives for Mizzou football, including on Ahmad Hardy & Beau Pribula
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- Mizzou sits 5-1 midseason, pursues SEC title and College Football Playoff.
- Ahmad Hardy leads SEC rushing, forces contact, drives Mizzou run identity.
- Quarterback Beau Pribula shows accuracy and mobility but struggles with turnovers.
Through six games, Mizzou finds itself in an interesting spot.
At 5-1, its richest goals — appearances in the SEC championship and College Football Playoff — are still attainable. But a loss to Alabama on Saturday dampened what had been sky-high expectations to start the season.
Even with the vibes turning sour, the Tigers have accomplished quite a bit. Stars have emerged on both sides of the ball, and they have a clear identity of running the ball effectively, remaining efficient when passing and suffocating opposing run games on defense.
With half of the 2025 campaign in the rearview mirror, here are some midseason superlatives for Mizzou football.
Offensive MVP: Ahmad Hardy
Even with a quiet performance against Alabama, this was the easiest decision on this list by a Mississippi mile. Hardy leads the SEC in rushing yards (782) and rushing touchdowns (nine) while leading the FBS in rushing yards after contact (604).
Hardy’s star has reached a point where the shine doesn’t only involve No. 29 jerseys dotting the bleachers at Memorial Stadium. Defenders have apparently expressed fears over tackling him during games, according to teammate Marquis Johnson, while Jon Gruden called Hardy a “combination of Marshall Faulk and God.” That seems appropriate considering that Hardy’s ability to break tackles seems heavenly at times.
Runner-up: N/A
Non-Ahmad Hardy Offensive MVP: Keagen Trost
Within the offensive line’s frequent shuffling during the offseason, there is one constant: Keagen Trost. The highly regarded Wake Forest transfer, who locked up the starting right tackle job by the end of the spring, has turned promise into production this season.
Among tackles with at least 200 snaps played, only Duke’s Brian Parker II has Trost beat in run-blocking and offensive grades according to Pro Football Focus. As a pass blocker, Trost allowed three pressures against Alabama, but he only had four in his previous five games. Playing offensive line can be compared to grammar: When it’s good, it’s hard to notice, and that’s exactly the case with Trost.
With Armand Membou’s departure to the NFL, whoever took his spot would have big shoes to fill. In his seventh season of college football, Trost seems to have filled those shoes quite well.
Runner-up: Kevin Coleman Jr.
Defensive MVP: Damon Wilson II
The former Georgia Bulldog has been one of the best edge rushers in the nation so far. His 5.5 sacks are not only second-most in the SEC, but he’s the fastest Mizzou player to that total since Walter Brady in 2015. Wilson’s 27 pressures are also the most among edge rushers in the SEC.
The funny part about Wilson’s success is that Georgia could really use someone of his caliber. Its defensive line has been one of the weakest units on either side of the ball. Considering UGA’s recent history of elite defensive lines, that’s like saying the Kool-Aid Man has struggled breaking into buildings.
Through six games, the group has combined for one sack, a number Wilson bested by himself against Alabama. Plus, not a single Bulldogs defensive lineman has more than six pressures, which Wilson reached in consecutive games against South Carolina and UMass.
Runner-up: Josiah Trotter
Most Improved Player: Zion Young
While Wilson II has dominated off the edge, his running mate on the other side has done so, too.
Young has already set single-season career-highs in tackles for loss (seven) and sacks (three), while he’s on pace to set single-season career-highs in pressures and quarterback hurries. His nine pressures against South Carolina on Sept. 20 were the highest among all SEC defenders that week.
Runner-up: Jamal Roberts
Conflicted Player of the Year: Beau Pribula
Recency bias may cloud one’s perception of Pribula, who threw a pair of back-breaking interceptions while also never finding a rhythm as a passer against Alabama.
Even before Saturday, his season was defined by noticeable strengths and weaknesses. He’s top-10 nationally in completion percentage (72.8%), and he’s proven stellar as a runner. But he has struggled mightily with turnovers of late, as he became the first Mizzou quarterback since Lock in 2018 to throw an interception in four straight games on Saturday.
Pribula also hasn’t tested the deep part of the field much (though he seems content with not doing so), and he struggled when Alabama shut down short routes that Pribula has been elite at hitting.
While Alabama executed a well-designed defensive game plan, Pribula will need to play better if Mizzou wants to fulfill its highest expectations.
Runner-up: Robert Meyer
Fantastic Freshman: Donovan Olugbode
The four-star freshman has electrified in limited touches. After logging four receptions against Central Arkansas, Olugbode made three more against Kansas, including a contested one-handed catch on fourth down.
Against Alabama, Olugbode helped keep Mizzou alive late with three big-time catches: a 29-yard reception through tight coverage, a touchdown reception on the next play and a contested fourth-down catch on MU’s next (and final) drive.
So far, Olugbode has been one of Mizzou’s greatest modern-day gifts from Chicago, along with Dennis Gates and the thousands of Mizzou students who say they’re from the Windy City, but are actually from (insert suburb that’s at least a 40-minute drive from downtown). The effort to make Naperville sound close to the city is commendable.
Runner-up: Marquise Davis
Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Midseason superlatives for Mizzou football, including on Ahmad Hardy & Beau Pribula."