Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts are the Batman and Robin of Missouri’s backfield, but let’s not forget about the Alfred and Commissioner Gordon. Those roles are filled by two FCS transfers entering their third year of college football but first at the FBS, let alone the Southeastern Conference.
One is Xai’Shaun Edwards, an elusive tailback that Mizzou originally offered in his high school recruitment cycle. Obviously, Edwards initially chose elsewhere over being a Tiger, opting to begin his collegiate career at Houston Christian. That decision seemed to pay dividends, as the speedster had success early on.
After serving as a backup in his 2024 true freshman season, Edwards broke out in 2025, rushing for 1,019 yards while averaging 5.3 yards per carry and punching in 12 touchdowns. Additionally, he caught 18 passes for 106 yards and returned 10 kicks for 289 total yards.
Edwards is on the smaller side, standing at 5-foot-9, but bulked up over the offseason from 175 pounds to 198, making him a much more viable rushing option against SEC front sevens. He’ll provide a nice change-of-pace option to Hardy and Roberts, bringing a new fold of explosiveness and receiving to the Tigers’ ground game.
Whenever Roberts and Hardy eventually depart from the program, Edwards could step up as the main face of the room.
Joining Edwards as the second FCS transfer tailback in the class is Malae Fonoti, a junior from Montana. Fonoti had better season-long numbers in his 2024 campaign, but earned the majority of his yardage in one game — a 176-yard performance against Morehead State. He finished with 234 yards and one touchdown on the season and played in just two other contests.
He saw an elevated role in 2025, appearing in nine games as Montana made a run to the FCS Semifinal, rushing for 184 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. He was buried behind Eli Gilman on the depth chart, who won the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 and is on the Walter Payton Award watch list ahead of the 2026 season.
Fonoti will still be behind talented backs at Missouri, but that doesn’t mean he can’t contribute — he’s performed well in a complementary role the last two seasons with the Grizzlies, and could do so again in 2026 at Missouri. Measuring in at 5’10, 209, Fonoti’s the third-biggest back on the roster, just seven pounds lighter than Roberts and one pound lighter than Hardy, so he could provide short bursts of bruising when needed.
Like Edwards, Fonoti could also be slotted for a larger role upon the eventual departures of Hardy and Roberts.
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