Donovan Edwards – Syndication Server

Donovan Edwards not focused on replicating 2022 Ohio State game success

‘Big Game Don’ is more humble now and focused on the moment rather than the legacy. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There were high expectations entering both 2023 and 2024 for Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, notably due to how he performed in his second year in college.

‘Big Game Don’ showed up against Penn State, but most visibly at Ohio State when Blake Corum was unable to do more than give it a go after injuring his knee. Edwards famously rattled off a 75-yard touchdown followed by an 85-yard touchdown late in The Game in Columbus, propelling Michigan to a 45-23 victory.

If the Wolverines are going to stand a chance given the disparity between the two teams, Big Game Don is going to have to show up. But, unlike in the past, he’s not pressing the issue. He’s not thinking about putting on a show and matching or exceeding his past accomplishments. Instead, he’s worried about what he’s doing today than what Saturday will bring. And once he gets the ball in his hands on Saturday, he’ll take things one snap at a time.

“I’m not trying to replicate anything,” Edwards said. “For me. It’s just doing what we have to do to win the football game. I’m not looking to — because I found myself trying to be something I was in the past, and that past is over. So, I have to look forward to what’s going to be, not looking to replicate anything this upcoming game. Just want to just do me, just have a great game as a football team and come up with a victory. And that’s all.”

Edwards came back for his senior season and though the season hasn’t gone as planned — he’s intermittently started, alternating certain games with Kalel Mullings — he has outpaced his 2023 production while falling short of his 2022 season where he had 991 yards.

Last year, in 15 games, Edwards had 119 carries for 497 yards and five touchdowns. In 11 games, this year Edwards has 124 carries for 578 yards and five touchdowns (four rushing and one receiving). Regardless of this not being a breakout season akin to 2022, he’s taking it in stride, recognizing there are grander schemes than merely being a big game player.

“It’s not the year that I wanted to have,” Edwards said. “I really wanted to have Ashton Jeanty year, for real. You feel me? A little jealous of Ashton Jeanty right now!

“I’m having some success though, but it’s not what I wanted to be, just statistically-wise. But ultimately proud of the fact that how I’ve been able to carry myself and the leader that I’ve become, and having the respect from the guys that surround me. And, being able to be healthy throughout this whole year, that’s what really matters to me a lot.

“And, I could say that I gave every game my all. Was it always pretty or perfect? No. Have I missed pass protections? Absolutely. But, that’s a part of the game. And I’m not perfect. I’m a human being. So, ultimately, I’m just –there’s success in every other aspect, and with the main focuses and the other parts of the season for me has been something that I’m proud of myself to say that I’ve been able to accomplish.”

Edwards isn’t pressuring himself to show Ohio State that he’s still a Buckeye killer. The most important thing for him is what kind of teammate he is, what kind of leader he’s been. The rest of it is all gravy.

“To me, it doesn’t really matter, because I have body of work that I’ve put on display,” Edwards said. “But ultimately, just one play or one game doesn’t define who I am. Inside Schembechler Hall, people know who I truly am as a man, as a person — that’s what matters the most to me. Just the person — the person that I am, the man that I am.”

Donovan Edwards more concerned with helping Michigan win than clamoring for being used as a WR

#Michigan needs to deploy him more in the pass game, for sure. #GoBlue

In his penultimate regular season game of his freshman year, Michigan running back Donovan Edwards went off, but not toting the rock.

At Maryland, Edwards had 10 catches for 170 yards, and it seemed to be an omen about how a versatile player could be truly unguardable once he matured through the system.

Edwards has averaged 238 receiving yards per season, but thus far through eight games in 2024, he’s far behind his average, with 11 receptions for just 63 yards. You’d think Edwards, who has split time at tailback with Kalel Mullings, would be demanding to get the ball through the air, but he told Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast, he just wants to do anything he can to help the team win.

That said, he is also making sure his coaches remember, hey, I can catch the ball and make defenses pay.

“I don’t know. Just for me, regardless, whatever the coaches best think for us to win, then I’m all good for it,” Edwards said. “But I’ve definitely had a conversation with my positions coach that, like, just for me, lke I want to be utilized, and in an aspect where no linebacker is going to be able to guard me, you know what I’m saying?”

Regardless, Edwards is showing real maturity. He has a skill set that others on the team don’t have and he’s shown real prowess in that area. Yet, he isn’t pushing as much as reminding.

Either way, Edwards’ focus is not on himself as much as it is the team. However, Michigan absolutely should utilize him more in the pass game, especially given the Wolverines’ struggles in the pass game.

“I just want just to help us win the game, regardless of how it is,” Edwards said. “And the best players should always be on the field at all times and that’s our motto. So, regardless, I always just want to do my absolute best to help the team win, whether that’s cheering my guys on or being out there to make a play in return.”

Why Michigan’s win over MSU was bigger than just a rivalry win

Really needed this win. #GoBlue

Coming off of two straight losses, Michigan football needed get tourniquet the bleeding. Given that there are still three ranked teams on the schedule, the Wolverines needed to beat the teams that are equal or worse, and rival MSU came into the game on the rise, albeit with the same 4-3 record as the maize and blue.

On the In the Trenches podcast, senior running back and team captain Donovan Edwards shared why Michigan needed this win more than most other games.

“Very important to have that victory,” Edwards said. “See, we’ve only lost three games in my three years here, and despite the rivalry, it was a must, needed win for us. Just a boost in confidence in the program. And just bringing the electric energy back into the facility, a much-needed win. And it’s always great to win a rivalry game. But despite that, it was just a much-needed win here in Schembechler Hall.”

The Wolverines lost to two unranked teams in Washington and Illinois because they couldn’t stop turning the ball over. Even the loss to Texas came because, also, turnovers.

So Edwards — who has two fumbles this season — says that the offense went back to the basics to ensure that they’d take care of the football and between that and the play-calling, it was all about execution.

“It’s just the fact that we’ve had so many turnovers, and those turnovers just shot us and when you lose a turnover battle, you’re ultimately going to lose the game pretty much,” Edwards said. “And firstly, we just had too many turnovers, and we wanted to minimize that much as possible. And all week, the coaches were just completely emphasizing ball security, and just going back to the fundamentals of how to hold the football and just redirecting us.

“And they ultimately did a great job for us, schematically-wise. I thought Kirk called a hell of a game for us, and the players just went out there and went out there and executed. And that was just something that we were just talking about all week. It doesn’t matter what play call it is or anything like that. It’s one of those players, especially like us leaders were emphasizing that it doesn’t matter (what’s) going on like we have to go out there, play together, play for each other, and just go out there, execute the play calls.”

Davis Warren didn’t get bitter, he got better after benching

Vast improvement in his return to the starting lineup! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Fans and media were lamenting Michigan football continuing to start a former walk-on at quarterback after Davis Warren turned out to be a turnover machine in the first three weeks of the season. However, after being benched and not playing for four weeks, Warren returned to the starting lineup and walked of the field a conquering hero.

In the aftermath of the Wolverines’ 24-17 win over rival Michigan State, running back Donovan Edwards couldn’t express his pride over Warren’s performance any higher, giving him a full-throated defense.

“I think that if you go through a lot of like adversity, expectations on you — adversity defines who you are,” Edwards said of Warren. “And this guy right here didn’t flinch, not one bit. And that’s somebody in our huddle that we respect because of the resilience that he’s had. And the media, what the media says about him, and the expectations and all that’s been on him. So I truly respect and I appreciate him, and he deserved the game that he had and especially being able to get his start back, to be able to lead this team to victory, y’all better stop counting him out, man. Because he’s shown time and time again that he overcomes adversity in his personal life and in the football world, that he’s always going to overcome adversity. So stop questioning Davis.”

And overcome adversity, Warren did.

The Leukemia survivor handled his benching in Week 3 like a professional. As his former head coach Jim Harbaugh used to often say, ‘Don’t get bitter, get better.’ And that’s exactly what Warren did. So when he was demoted, Warren didn’t sulk, he didn’t lament his situation. Instead, he got to work — and it paid off.

“I don’t think it wasn’t really a huge adjustment for me,” Warren said. “I felt like I’d always stay prepared. That’s something Coach Campbell talked about, even after Arkansas State was like, ‘This team’s going to need you at some point again, and you got to stay ready.’ And that was just something that I took is it’s not my job to have the perspective on if getting benched was the best thing that ever happened to me, the worst thing, if it was a learning opportunity, if it was something that I always regret. It was just my job to stay ready.

“So I think just having that mental fortitude of like this is just a great opportunity for me to take a step back, get better, learn and just still try to be there for the guys. It was huge and just great to get the win.”

Even so, Warren didn’t spend much time wondering if being benched is what he needed. He spent no hindsight trying to figure out what went wrong in the past. Instead, he put it all aside and focused on the present. And with that, it helped him get out of his own head and helped him play loose when he returned as Michigan’s starter.

“I think that’s natural,” Warren said. “When things don’t go exactly how you want them to, that’s human nature to think that way. But I think, like I said, Coach Campbell did a great job keeping me up and I just turned and was like, hey, not playing. Might as well be turned back into the best practice player I can be again. And I think I had some of my best weeks of practice even when I wasn’t in there as a starter, and just staying ready. And, I think just the way it turned out, I’m just grateful.”

Donovan Edwards reflects on his pivotal TD pass vs. MSU

It was the perfect playcall at the perfect time. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was a pivotal point in the game for Michigan football as it had to score some points to keep rival MSU at bay.

The Wolverine defense managed to hold the Spartans to just seven points in the first half, despite Aidan Chiles and Nate Carter managing to drive the field with regularity in the early going. Michigan scored nine unanswered points to end the first half and then scored another touchdown to open up the second half.

MSU scored a field goal near the end of the third quarter to cut the lead to six, so going into the fourth quarter, Michigan couldn’t afford to waste a possession, especially another one that started with a relatively short field.

Then it happened. Running back Donovan Edwards took a handoff and ran toward the right sideline, with Spartan defenders crashing in. Then, Edwards stopped in his tracks and tossed the ball up to a wide open Colston Loveland for a 23-yard touchdown to help put Michigan up by 14 with 13 minutes remaining in the game.

“That’s a play that we had in the microwave for quite some time now,” Edwards said. “And, I think, just like our coaches had the trust and the confidence just to call that play in reality too, that — the safeties, they trigger very hard and they’re tremendous athletes, tremendous players. Same thing with their whole entire defense. It’s just something that we were comfortable calling in that situation. And I’m glad that we got that off the call sheet.”

With that touchdown pass, Edwards is 4-for-4 as a passer, with 131 yards and two touchdowns. It’s an incredible streak even with small numbers, especially considering that Edwards isn’t a quarterback. Edwards was gleeful after the game, joking about his standing in terms of being the greatest ever when it comes to being a Michigan ‘quarterback.’

“I ain’t the next Tom Brady but I’m an athlete,” Edwards said. “I don’t need to warm (up), just go and let it rip out there.”

But in seriousness, when did Edwards know that he could throw the ball in-game and have any modicum of success? He did play some wildcat quarterback at West Bloomfield (Mich.), but it wasn’t until he got his first opportunity in a key game when he hit Roman Wilson for a long touchdown to beat Iowa and advance to the College Football Playoff in his freshman year.

“Most specifically for me, it was the Big Ten Championship in 2021 just like the athletic ability and the trust that the coaches have in me, just to get those calls off the call sheet and have them dialed up,” Edwards said. “I think it’s a tremendous honor just for the coaches to be able to have confidence in you, just to do something like that.

“And Dono has a perfect QBR rate, too!”

We’ll see if Michigan has more of that type of play in store with Oregon coming to town on Saturday.

Despite recent struggles, Michigan still focused on daily improvement

They haven’t lost faith in that locker room. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Rival fans are having something of a field day as Michigan football has struggled mightily in 2024, following up the national championship season with a 4-3 record in seven games. Next to no one in the national media expected so much of a falloff for the Wolverines, who haven’t been able to figure out the quarterback situation, and by extension, the offense.

However, after trying three quarterbacks, and coming in as one of the worst teams in the country (122nd out of 134 teams) in terms of turning the ball over, it stands to reason that Michigan wouldn’t be following up its best season with another in-kind — especially since Michigan was No. 1 in turnover margin a year ago.

No one is more surprised than Donovan Edwards, the team captain and running back, who has had two untimely turnovers himself. The way Edwards saw it when he looked at what team 145 could be before the season, he felt like a repeat of last year’s success was definitely on the table. Thus, he doesn’t feel like expectations for this team were too high — instead, it’s more that this team has failed to execute.

“No, absolutely not, because I looked at the schedule myself,” Edwards said. “I’m like, we shouldn’t lose a game this year. That’s what I said before the season. And you should always have that kind of confidence and that kind of expectation, so, absolutely.

“Now I look across the board, every guy amongst our team is a draft pick, you know? So, no, it’s not unfair to say that, or it’s not unfair to say for us that expectations were too high. It happens within the game. You win games, you lose games, you know? And this is Michigan, it’s a winning program, and we’re always expected to win. But ultimately, it sucks to say you can’t win every single game, so, but we’re always going to try our absolute best every single week to win every single game. So, I have faith in that.”

Edwards is aware of his own struggles and how he’s hurt this team with his own turnovers. But, neither he nor his teammates can wallow in that.

In Edwards’ estimation, the Wolverines are better than they’ve played, though the record indicates they are who they are. Still, he’s not satisfied with that, knowing how good they can be. With three of the final five regular season games coming against ranked teams, Edwards says he and his teammates are working to be better every single day in hopes that by year’s end, they reach their potential — even if the preseason goals are out the window at this point.

“We have a lot of work to do, especially just me, always like being hard on myself,” Edwards said. “I have two fumbles this year, which is not really like me at all. So it’s just the small things that we always have to get better at.

“Also, just said earlier that for us going on moving forward, we just have to continue to win the day today. And I live by a Kobe Bryant quote that says it’s a consequence to be better today than you were yesterday, to make a better tomorrow than today. So that’s kind of the model that we have to live by. And every single week, every single day we have to get better, and every single week, we actually get better.”

Even with this season being a disappointment, the team isn’t wallowing, as mentioned earlier. This lack of success for these players is unprecedented, even if earlier teams had similar struggles.

For Edwards, it’s about staying the course while improving to ensure that the team doesn’t end the season by continuing on the recent trajectory that it’s been set upon.

“I’ve had, what? Three losses before this year?” Edwards said. “So, it’s kind of hard, because you never want to lose any single football game. You put your heart, your mind, your soul, into this game. And it’s just hard when at the end of the day there’s a loss on your record. You never want this. So, ultimately, we just have to continue to do better. Leaders continue to lead, and coaches continue to coach, and we just have to get collectively better every single day. And we also have to just continue to be there for one another and continue to build on what has been built here already before.”

Is this a hint at an expanded Michigan football offense coming soon?

THIS. PLEASE. #GoBlue

One of the things we’ve been advocating for in terms of the Michigan football offense has been the Wolverines doing something that they’d previously done.

Utilizing Donovan Edwards in the pass game.

In his freshman year, Edwards went off in the penultimate regular season game against Maryland, with 10 catches for 170 yards. The next year, all of the talk of the offseason was how Edwards was perhaps the team’s best receiver. He showed that early, but he struggled with injuries, and thus he was used primarily as a running back.

Now, Michigan is in dire need of receivers to step up outside of tight end Colston Loveland. So our ears perked up on Wednesday when running backs coach Tony Alford said this comparing Edwards and Kalel Mullings’ skill sets:

“I think Donovan is more of a guy that you can put out in space and do some things as far as running routes,” Alford said. “I think some of the more rugged, tougher yard stuff, probably more attributed to things that Kalel might be more suited for in certain situations. But the whole objective, again, is to make sure that we’re trying to develop guys that are three-down players, that they can play every single down. And, again, some guys are a little bit more better at this or that than others. The key, again, is to put the best 11 guys on the field for that particular situation. But they do, they have a little bit different skill sets. Both of them are high-end skill set guys, but they both do have some different skill sets, obviously.”

Michigan absolutely needs to utilize Edwards more in the passing game as it works to improve that sector of the offense. We’ve seen glimpses from some of the receivers, but Edwards has more production than all of the receivers (except C.J. Charleston, who transferred in from Youngstown State) combined. Yes, it still needs him to be productive in the ground game, but if the Wolverines really do intend to put players in the best position to succeed, then Edwards needs much more than the nine catches he’s had through six games thus far.

Kalel Mullings taking over as Michigan’s top RB prospect

Kalel Mullings taking over from Donovan Edwards as Michigan’s top RB prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft

Entering the season, Donovan Edwards was expected to shoulder the load as Michigan’s top running back. His strong finish to the 2023 season, running all over Washington in the national championship game, had draft analysts buzzing about what Edwards could do in 2024 in Ann Arbor.

Yet after four weeks, Edwards has taken a definitive back seat to heretofore unheralded Kalel Mullings. Listed and used as a fullback after converting from linebacker following the 2021 season, the 233-pound Mullings carried the ball just 50 times in his first two seasons on offense–nearly all of that in garbage time.

Now, the senior has 32 carries in the last two weeks, netting 312 yards and four touchdowns. Edwards gained 156 on 31 carries in those same two games. It’s been Mullings who gets the call early, with his sledgehammer style and great balance through contact helping Michigan establish the power game. It’s also put Mullings firmly on the draft radar as a runner.

Edwards is still finding success in the more limited role. He scored touchdowns against both USC and Minnesota, showing some great balance and burst into the open against the Golden Gophers. His initial burst in the backfield and decisiveness in attacking the hole has held him back, and that won’t help Edwards in the eyes of NFL evaluators. A couple of really bad reps in pass protection against Fresno State won’t help Edwards see more action, either.

Edwards still shows enough promise to keep evaluating, but the visions of No. 7 emerging as a top-100 talent seem long gone.

Will Michigan football utilize Donovan Edwards more in the pass game?

If it doesn’t, it’s criminal. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan football offense looks like it could use all of the help it can get after two weeks. The offensive line has not jelled at all, and perhaps it struggled because it played a solid, if not elite, team in Texas last week. But the run game hasn’t been working effectively, nor has the pass game.

In our mind, there’s one solution: get running back Donovan Edwards more involved in the pass game.

Edwards was spoken of as the team’s best receiver in 2022, despite having players like Ronnie Bell, Roman Wilson, and Cornelius Johnson on the team. The speedy tailback from West Bloomfield came to Ann Arbor as a versatile player and Michigan deployed him thusly, with Edwards getting 18 receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns — numbers that likely would have been much higher if it wasn’t for injuries he sustained throughout that year. The year before, Edwards had 20 catches for 265 yards and one touchdown, and last year, he had 30 catches for 249 yards — so these are numbers that can be easily replicated.

However, through two games, Michigan has thrown the ball to Edwards three times and he has two yards and a touchdown. So will those numbers increase in the coming weeks?

“Donovan – obviously you guys know his production speaks for itself. His career throughout Michigan, his career in Michigan, he’s a guy that you can create mismatches with,” wide receivers coach and Edwards’ former high school coach Ron Bellamy said. “Getting him on safeties and linebackers, that’s something that constantly we’re going to involve in the game plan and whatnot.

“And as far as receiver skills, me working with him, that’s something that pre-practice we talk about different things. And he’ll come over during special teams. And, if I’m doing things with receivers, he’ll come over and jump in there with his ball drills, footwork drills, or just us talking about just techniques that we’re going to use on certain routes because the running backs have the ability to do some of the same things, especially a guy with his skill set.”

So why hasn’t Michigan taken more advantage of his skill set? Edwards appears to be the type of player who could lead the team in receiving (if not for tight end Colston Loveland) and his inclusion in the pass game could take the pressure off of a group of receivers that have very little time on task in terms of production.

Bellamy says it all depends on the game plan each week but that Edwards does have those unique abilities that can be mismatches for teams on the schedule.

“It just depends on our opponent, where the weakness is that we can exploit — ways we can get Donovan going,” Bellamy said. “And we really like our receivers, we really like our tight ends. We like Donovan as well, and some of the other running backs can do the same thing. It’s just week to week what does the defense allow us to do? And that’s how we decide who’s going to get the ball and whatnot.”

We’ll see if the Wolverines get Edwards going, either on the ground or through the air, this week with Arkansas State coming to town for a noon game.

Donovan Edwards galvanizing Michigan offense after loss to Texas

This is good to hear. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan football offense looks all new and with that has come some growing pains.

The offense only had three productive drives in Week 1 against Fresno State and perhaps about the same in Week 2 against Texas — though it’s more difficult to tell given how the Longhorns jumped out to a big lead relatively early in the game.

As a result, there’s an increased sense of urgency inside Schembechler Hall as the Wolverines prepare for Arkansas State in Week 3.

“Yes, because we know we didn’t play to our standard,” redshirt freshman Kendrick Bell said. “We’re going to continue to because we set a pretty high standard, and we’re going to continue to play at that standard.”

Bell says that one of the team captains is working to get the team on the right page to set that standard.

Having joined the Wolverines in 2021, Donovan Edwards is now a team captain and a vocal leader on the offensive side of the ball. Though the players didn’t necessarily feel like they needed an all-hands-on-deck meeting following the Texas game, Edwards at least has let other players on the offense know that they need to step up.

“We all know what we should have done on Saturday. We all know that loss was not what we wanted,” Bell said. “We haven’t lost in a long time. So we, some of us, especially me, don’t know how it feels to lose. But Dono got us all together — not all together, but in the team room, offensive meeting.”

Up next, the Wolverines have Arkansas State at The Big House. That game will be broadcast at noon EDT on Big Ten Network.