SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 20, 2026

Jamal Roberts

Missouri Tigers

Press Conference

Q. Coach was just up here talking about you and your commitment to come back and return here knowing that Ahmad Hardy is back here as well and having to share that time, but just talk about why you decided to do that and kind of what you're looking forward to the prospects of the season and maybe being the featured guy, especially to start the year.

JAMAL ROBERTS: My reason why I wanted to come back, I just had no reason to leave. I was home at Mizzou, and I started there and I wanted to finish there. And I'm just looking to have another good season that I had last year, not dwelling on last year, but having a better season than I had last year.

Q. Are there any particular SEC teams that your fans seem to enjoy when they come to your place?

JAMAL ROBERTS: I know on this year's schedule, everybody's going to want to come see Mizzou versus Texas for sure.

Q. Coming off of last season, how are you feeling knowing that you might take a bigger leadership role this season?

JAMAL ROBERTS: Just being where my feet is, just stepping up and just pouring into the guys that's younger than me and some of the transfer guys, showing them the Mizzou way. And just pouring some of that wisdom into them guys that never had it or just came from different programs that's not Mizzou.

Q. With a whole new regime on offense and the wide receiver room and obviously Austin Simmons at quarterback, what do you think the consistency in being able to have some of that stability in the running back room has been able to strengthen your guys as a group?

JAMAL ROBERTS: I feel like it just makes it easier for quarterback to play quarterback and some of the guys that's playing receiver to play receiver. We've got those guys that the running back position to be able to run the ball as well as we do. It makes it easier for the guys around us to do their jobs on the field as well.

Q. Having been in the rivalry game with Arkansas just that what have been your thoughts on those games and that rivalry?

JAMAL ROBERTS: I love rivalry games. They're really fun. They're exciting. They're new to me as well, just playing in the KU game in the Arkansas games, like we always play Arkansas at the end of the year every year. And they're really fun to play. It's just battling on the line.

Q. You said you play them in the last week of the year. That changes this year where you get OU last week and you play Arkansas a little bit earlier. Just your thoughts on maybe now getting OU in that rivalry weekend game?

JAMAL ROBERTS: We gotta get them for sure. OU part of it.

Q. Going back to last year, one of your better games was against Texas A&M. What do you remember from that game facing that defense and then the opportunity you guys have to host them again this year?

JAMAL ROBERTS: Just last year, just being ready when my name was called. Just running the ball. Just focusing on them guys up front. I've got to give good props to my guys up front like the linemen. They blocked very well for that game, I can't do it without them. Without the linemen, I couldn't have that good game as I had last year.

Q. Have you been talking to Ahmad lately? How has he doing, just physically, mentally? How is Ahmad doing as he's gone through what he's had to go through?

JAMAL ROBERTS: Ahmad is doing well. He's at every team event that we do. He's doing rehab and he's doing well.

Q. Jamal, what have you learned from Ahmad and maybe what has he you learned from you about the running back position?

JAMAL ROBERTS: Me and Ahmad coach each other up all the time. Even on -- he coached me up right now. I thought he was coaching me up doing just summer workouts. And we give each other pointers, like I said.

I would step up this year and pour wisdom into the guys. But he's already given the God-given ability to run the ball. But just to help him understand the plays, or pre-snap reads and this that and the third, and just help each other out. We really come as one.

Q. Earlier today coach was really praising the offensive line. What have you seen from them and how are you feeling heading into the fall with a unit like that?

JAMAL ROBERTS: Just as me and Ahmad is one, our whole offensive line is one. They do a lot. They put in so much work during the offseason, it's unbelievable. I really appreciate that work that they put in because it's going to show. They're going to apply it to the field and we're going to dominate up front.

Q. When people are getting recruited by your school, what are they hearing about what your program is like and what your town is like?

JAMAL ROBERTS: We definitely are a run-game program. They love that we run the ball and that we had top SEC rushers in, like Coach said, Tyler Beaty and Ahmad Hardy. That's what they really like to hear and the coaches just love that environment, just open, the college, not the college, but the high school kids with open arms, like how they deal with me, just showing them the way, you know?

Q. What's it like being from St. Louis, getting to represent your home state and represent Missouri here at media days?

JAMAL ROBERTS: That means a lot. I'm definitely grateful for the opportunity. I really appreciate coach for picking me as one of the people to represent Mizzou. And it definitely means a lot because it's possible, man, like it's very doable. And I'm really grateful for the opportunity.

Q. You've got to give us your go-tos in Columbia for pizza, any other kind of food? What are your go-tos to eat in Columbia?

JAMAL ROBERTS: I really be eating the same thing. As far as like go-tos, I really be on Pickleman's a lot. It's like a pizza/sandwich type of place. (Indiscernible) pizza and sandwiches. That's pretty much my spot. And Bud's BBQ, though, Bud's is really good. Bud's really good. I really enjoy it a lot. The smash burgers are really good there.

Q. What would you like to tell the Mizzou fans, give a self-scouting report of Austin Simmons?

JAMAL ROBERTS: He's not afraid to throw it. He's definitely taking charge. He's keeping everybody on the same boat, same page, and we're doing the same thing with him. By him being a transfer, we're showing him the Mizzou way as well. Just taking a charge and running an offense as a quarterback as a captain, as a quarterback.