K-State lands 4-star local running back Dylan Edwards

Dylan Edwards is staying in the family.

Edwards, a four-star running back and the No. 4 player in Kansas, will follow in his father’s footsteps to play for the Kansas State Wildcats. Edwards announced his commitment to K-State at a Thursday news conference at Derby (Kan.) High School.

Edwards’ pledge comes days after he was in Manhattan for an official visit to K-State. Edwards also took official visits to Oklahoma and Nebraska. He was originally set to be at Missouri this upcoming weekend but canceled the trip ahead of his announcement. Edwards also had high-level offers from Minnesota, Iowa State, Kentucky, Oregon, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Wisconsin and others.

Dylan Edwards is a K-State legacy. His father, Leon Edwards, played for former Wildcats coach Bill Snyder from 1992-1994.

Purple is in his blood, and the Wildcats were pegged as the team to beat early on in his recruitment. However, an offer from Oklahoma and a push from Nebraska made things interesting. At one point the Sooners were trending in his recruitment, especially because his father played with OU head coach Brent Venables back in the day.

Yet, the Wildcats’ pursuit never wavered. Plus, Edwards was also fond of how K-State uses Deuce Vaughn in their offensive system. Both Vaughn and Edwards are quality receivers coming out of the backfield and each has an extra burst of speed.

Dylan Edwards was 2021 Kansas player of year

Dylan Edwards was the 2021 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year after rushing for 40 touchdowns and racking up 3,000 all-purpose yards. As a sophomore, Edwards rushed for 1,833 yards, 25 touchdowns and averaged 8.9 yards a carry. He played a big role in Derby winning the 2020 state championship and the Panthers advancing again to the 6A title game in 2021. Dylan Edwards has an On3 NIL Valuation of $22,000. As a top recruit in the Sunflower State and a player with deep family ties to K-State, Edwards is expected to generate significant NIL income when he arrives in Manhattan. He already has more than 22,000 followers on his social media accounts.

More good on way for K-State?

The addition of Dylan Edwards could be a sign of things to come with another coveted in-state target Avery Johnson.

The four-star quarterback from Maize, Kan., has talked openly about playing with Edwards in college. Plus, Johnson and Edwards are close friends.

Johnson took his final scheduled official visit to Oregon last weekend. Now he’s set to announce his commitment before he leaves for the Elite 11 Finals next week.

K-State is listed as the heavy favorite for Johnson. The Wildcats have a 63% chance of landing the No. 12 quarterback in the country, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

With Edwards’ commitment, the Wildcats have pledges from five of the top 11 players in a loaded 2023 class in Kansas.