Michigan RB Donovan Edwards will return for senior season with Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football running back Donovan Edwards announced today that he’ll return for his senior season in Ann Arbor. With senior Blake Corum off to the NFL, Edwards is expected to be the Wolverines’ No. 1 back in 2024. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
A West Bloomfield (Mich.) High product, Edwards helped the Wolverines win three Big Ten championships and the national title this past season. He and his class have a 40-3 overall record and only one regular-season loss so far. He’ll be able to add to that this coming season, which begins with a home game against Fresno State Aug. 31.
During his three seasons, the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder has racked up 294 carries for 1,662 yards and 15 touchdowns, backing up Corum in 2022 and 2023 and serving as a reserve as a freshman prior to that.
Edwards entered the 2023 campaign considered a potential first-round pick, but it was a rocky year in terms of his production. He averaged 3.5 yards per carry until exploding for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 carries in Michigan’s 34-13 national championship game win over Washington Jan. 8 in Houston. Edwards broke off 41- and 46-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter, helping the Maize and Blue jump out to a 14-3 lead.
All told for the season, Edwards rushed 119 times for 497 yards and 5 touchdowns. His opportunities were limited, only earning double-digit carries in five contests and never more than 14 in a game. He added 30 catches for 249 yards.
The breakout season was 2022. Edwards rushed 117 times for 872 yards and 7 touchdowns, adding 17 receptions for 192 yards and 2 scores. Corum went down with a knee injury late in the season, and Edwards became a legend with 75- and 85-yard lightning strike touchdowns in Michigan’s 45-23 victory over Ohio State, its first win in Columbus since 2000. He followed that up by being named Big Ten championship game MVP with 185 yards and a score in a win over Purdue and put up 119 yards in a CFP loss to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
Edwards has long stepped up in big games, from his 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Jan. 2021 MHSAA Division 1 state title game to explosive performances against Penn State, Ohio State and Purdue in 2022 and versus the Nittany Lions and Washington in 2023, among others.
Edwards saw time in 11 contests for Michigan in 2021, accumulating 158 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 31 rushes with 17 catches for 216 yards and a score. He was the third-stringer to starter Hassan Haskins and backup Corum.
A four-star recruit, Edwards was the No. 34 overall player and second-best running back in the 2021 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
