Why Donovan Edwards will be the one key to Michigan Wolverines success under new head coach Sherrone Moore
The Michigan Wolverines are going to look like a completely new team on offense in 2024 thanks to all the incredible players who departed for the NFL this past spring. The team will look to replace all five starters on the offensive line, their starting quarterback, running back, and their two leading wide receivers from […]
The Michigan Wolverines are going to look like a completely new team on offense in 2024 thanks to all the incredible players who departed for the NFL this past spring. The team will look to replace all five starters on the offensive line, their starting quarterback, running back, and their two leading wide receivers from a year ago. So who will new head coach Sherrone Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell lean on this season as the key to offensive success?
As of this writing the starting quarterback has yet to be announced. With that in mind, it's clear the team is going to be quite run-centric yet again. That leaves returning running back Donovan Edwards as the face of the offense and the true key to the season for Michigan.
Donovan Edwards, potential Heisman RB
When fringe five star recruit Donovan Edwards got to campus as a true freshman back in 2021 his talent was too obvious to ignore. So much so that despite sharing a backfield with two future NFL running backs in Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, head coach Jim Harbaugh made sure Edwards got plenty of work as a true freshman, tallying almost 60 touches in year one.
Then as a sophomore Edwards was truly unleashed as he racked up five 100-yard rushing games, including the absolute demolition of Ohio State for 225 yards from scrimmage and two long touchdown runs.
As 2023 began, expectations were high for Donovan Edwards as a strong pairing in the Michigan backfield with 2022 Heisman hopeful Blake Corum. However, something didn't look right with Edwards as the year kicked off. His first 18 carries in two games with the Wolverines went for just 46 yards as his explosion looked lost. So, what happened?
It turns out Edwards had actually played much of 2022 with a tear in his patellar tendon, so he decided to have that surgically repaired over the off-season. But sadly, that meant some recovery time and inevitable loss of confidence in his burst and agility. That slow start and lack of burst continued for much of the 2022 season, leading some fans to wonder if he'd ever return to form.
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Prior to Donovan Edwards' surgery he was averaging 7.8 yards per carry throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons against defensive fronts with seven or more defenders in the box. Blake Corum, by comparison, was averaging just 5.9 yards per carry in that same span against loaded boxes. And if teams really tried to stop Edwards with eight or more defenders in the box? He made them pay to the tune of 9.6 yards per carry and consistent handfuls missed tackles forced.
Through Edwards' first two seasons and 200+ touches he was seriously averaging nearly eight yards per touch as one of the most explosive, efficient running backs in the sport! And thank goodness, he finally began to return to form at just the right time as Michigan was playing for a national championship. Despite only tallying one run of 20+ yards prior to the College Football Playoff, Donovan Edwards ran in two 40+ yard touchdowns against Washington in the national championship!
After the national championship game in his post-game interview Donovan Edwards shared that he had been seeing a therapist as he was trying to get back to form. He said that helped him immensely stating, "I just let everything go…It's a testament to being able to overcome adversity and rise from it."
Now that Donovan Edwards has his head right, is fully recovered from surgery, and has looked like his explosive self again this off-season, Michigan is going to have to lean on him heavily if they want to find any success on offense.
His proven ability to make defenders miss and bust open for explosive plays against stacked boxes in years past should be perfect for Michigan's brand new set of offensive line starters. And his otherworldly success on outside runs throughout his first two seasons should mesh well with Alex Orji's mobility (if he's the QB) as Michigan continues to utilize creative run plays that fully stress the entire defensive fronts they face.
Michigan's 2024 success is going to begin and end with Donovan Edwards on offense. And if he's anyway near back to "normal" Edwards could carry the team on his way towards a Heisman Trophy campaign by season's end.
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Be looking for more Michigan Wolverines coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to enjoy some Donovan Edwards highlights to remind yourself why the offense should be in good hands just check out the video below!
