That should not cause any issues, just keep your hands back when firing. Personally, I would go for something in the 10" range for that length barrel.
Handguards a half inch shorter than the barrel are common. You just need to make sure you familiarize yourself with it enough to not have an accident where you shoot yourself in the hand.
This is where hand stops come in. I use one on my 8.2" 300blk SBR.