INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan football running back Donovan Edwards was thrust into the limelight in his sophomore year, not only having a big game against Penn State midseason, but also taking over for star tailback Blake Corum after his knee injury.
Edwards thrived, with two 75-plus yard touchdowns at rival Ohio State to clinch the Big Ten East Division title and cement the Wolverines into the College Football Playoff. He followed that up with a big championship game against Purdue and had some stellar runs in the playoff against TCU.
As a result, Edwards was outspoken about his abilities. He planned to go pro after his junior year, compared himself to Bears great Walter Payton on a PFF podcast. Everything was looking up for Edwards.
However, his junior campaign was a step back, a setback, after months of Edwards telling the world just how good he was. The big runs weren’t there. He found himself getting tackled in the backfield. Frustration mounted, but Edwards put on a brave face and frequently spoke about his faith in Jesus.
Then the national championship game came, and Edwards started off with two carries, both 40-plus yard touchdowns. In retrospect, Edwards feels like he needed a little more humility, and entering his senior year, that’s a lesson learned and one he won’t forget.
“I’m always confident but I may have been a little bit arrogant — especially coming off a great sophomore year,” Edwards said. “I told Angelique (Chengelis) that I wanted to go to the NFL after that year, but I’ve grown a lot and I think that I have — I know that I’ve matured a lot. And you can hear it in my voice when I’m talking to you. It’s a little bit more flowing to me.
“I’m also me at the end of the day, so I’ve definitely matured and grew up more.
The path to where he is now was never linear, even if it looked like it. Edwards burst onto the scene in his freshman year, even though he was the third running back on the depth chart.
A five-star recruit according to 247Sports, Edwards thrived wherever he had been. Thus, it was strange for him — both in his freshman year as well as his junior year — to have to rely on his teammates rather than him being the main contributor for his team.
“Just because of all the things that have happened — things never went my way,” Edwards said. “After the Washington game in 2021, I cried in the locker room because like I didn’t like — I wanted the ball, I wanted to get in the game more. And I only had about two or four carries whatever it was like. I wanted it, I was so hungry and I’ve always been hungry. I’ve always been in a backup role my whole career here in Michigan and I’ve always been the No. 1 guy. I’ve always been having my number called upon.
“So, I had to take a backseat to that. Most people, I believe they would have transferred out. But I was going to stay the course and stay patient and ultimately it’s going to pay off for me.”
This year, Edwards is expected to be the feature back. He’s on the cover of the new EA Sports College Football 25 video game and all eyes are on him. But no longer is he being considered one of the best 10 backs in the country, with his 2023 setback changing the media perception of his abilities.
But with every setback, there’s the possibility of a big comeback. And that’s what Edwards is working toward in 2024.