Donovan Edwards

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Donovan Edwards
MBN S24G00 SPRINGGAME-56 (53668835529) (cropped).jpg
Edwards with Michigan in 2024
Michigan Wolverines–No. 7
Position Running back
ClassSenior
Personal information
Born: (2003-02-25) February 25, 2003 (age 21)
West Bloomfield, Michigan, U.S. [1]
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career history
College
Bowl games
High school West Bloomfield (MI)
Career highlights and awards

Donovan Edwards (born February 25, 2003) is an American football running back for the Michigan Wolverines. He has won three consecutive Big Ten Conference titles and a national championship in 2023. Edwards is the only player in college football history to have multiple 40-yard touchdown runs in a national championship game.

Contents

Early life

Edwards was born in 2003 in West Bloomfield, Michigan, the son of Kevin and Donna Edwards. [2] His mother, Donna, died from cancer in 2005 when Donovan was two years old. He was raised by his father, Kevin Edwards Sr and older brother Kevin Jr. [3] Edwards' grandfather, Charlie Primas Jr, won Mr. Basketball in Michigan in 1950.

Edwards played high school football at West Bloomfield High School, under head coach Ronald Bellamy, who would later join Edwards at the University of Michigan as an assistant coach. He was high school teammates with Makari Paige and Semaj Morgan. As a senior, in 2020, he rushed for 1,502 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading West Bloomfield to a Division 1 state championship. [4]

Edwards was honored as the 2020 Gatorade Michigan Football Player of the Year, [5] selected as the captain of the Detroit Free Press 2020 Dream Team, [6] and was named Mr. Football for the state of Michigan. He was rated as a five-star recruit by 247Sports. [7]

College career

Freshman season

In December 2020, Edwards committed to the University of Michigan. He announced the decision on ESPN, choosing Michigan over the University of Georgia, University of Notre Dame, and the University of Oklahoma. [8] He enrolled early at Michigan in January 2021. [9]

In the 2021 season, Edwards rushed for 174 yards on eight carries and caught 20 passes for 265 yards. He scored his first two touchdowns against Northern Illinois on September 18, 2021, a 4-yard and 58-yard touchdown. [10] In the first half of the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa on December 4, Edwards threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson, after receiving a backward pass from quarterback Cade McNamara. [11]

Sophomore season

In 2022, Edwards played in 11 games, with three starts. Edwards rushed for 991 yards, had 200 yards receiving, and scored 9 touchdowns. He earned his first career start against Michigan State on October 29, and totaled 80 yards in the win.

Edwards rushes for his second touchdown against Ohio State in 2022. 2022 UM vs OSU 0142.jpg
Edwards rushes for his second touchdown against Ohio State in 2022.

On November 26, Edwards led Michigan to a 45-23 victory against rival Ohio State in Columbus, rushing for 216 yards with touchdown runs of 75 and 85 yards in the fourth quarter. [13]

The following week, in the Big Ten Championship game, Edwards rushed for 185 yards and one touchdown against Purdue to win the conference championship, and earn the Big Ten Championship MVP award. [14]

On December 31, in the Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal), Edwards rushed for his third straight 100-yard game with 119 yards on 23 carries in the loss to TCU. [15]

Junior season

In 2023, Edwards played in all 15 games on Michigan's national championship team, finishing with 746 rushing and receiving yards, 5 touchdowns and a career high 30 receptions.

In the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, Edwards rushed for 104 yards, including touchdown runs of 41 and 46 yards. He became the first player in college football history, since the BCS launched in 1998, to have two rushing touchdowns of over 40 yards in a national championship game, and led Michigan to victory versus the Washington Huskies. [16] [17]

Donovan Edwards (104 yards) and Blake Corum (134 yards) also became the first pair of teammates in college football playoff history to each rush for over 100 yards in the national championship game. [18]

Senior season

Entering his senior season, Edwards was ranked as one of the top running backs in college football prior to the 2024 season. [19] [20] [21] He was named one of the three cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 25. [22] [23]

Edwards assumed the role as the leader for the Wolverines in 2024 and was voted as team captain, filling both the starting running back and leadership position held by his predecessor Blake Corum. [24] [25] After a slow start to the season, in week three versus Arkansas State, Edwards rushed for 82 yards and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season; second total touchdown. [26] In week four against the USC Trojans, Edwards rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown. [27]

Statistics

College statistics
Michigan Wolverines
SeasonGamesRushingReceiving
GPGSAttYardsAvgTDRecYardsAvgTD
2021 120351745.032026513.31
2022 1131409917.171820011.12
2023 1511194974.25302498.30
2024 1111272.50200.01
Career 3953051,6895.5157071410.24

Personal life

Edwards is a devout Christian. [28]

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References

  1. ↑ "Donovan Edwards". ESPN.
  2. ↑ "Donovan Edwards". University of Michigan. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Michigan target Donovan Edwards enjoys 'unbelievable' Ohio State visit". Detroit Free Press. September 24, 2018.
  4. ↑ "'They can't catch me': Michigan signee Donovan Edwards runs wild in West Bloomfield's state title win". Mlive.
  5. ↑ "Donovan Edwards of West Bloomfield is named Gatorade Michigan High School Football Player of the Year". High School Football America. May 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Meet the Detroit Free Press 2020 football Dream Team". Detroit Free Press. January 31, 2021.
  7. ↑ Brandon Brown (January 30, 2021). "Michigan Early Enrollee Earns State's Highest Honor". SI.com.
  8. ↑ Orion Sang (December 16, 2020). "Michigan football lands Donovan Edwards, 4-star running back from West Bloomfield". Detroit Free Press.
  9. ↑ "Star Michigan Signee Donovan Edwards Goes Off". SI.com. January 10, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Michigan RB Donovan Edwards scores first career TDs: 'There's gonna be many more runs like that'". Mlive.com. September 19, 2021.
  11. ↑ Kosko, Nick (December 4, 2021). "Michigan RB Donovan Edwards throws 75-yard touchdown in Big Ten Championship Game". 247Sports. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Donovan Edwards 85 Yard Touchdown Run - Michigan vs Ohio State". Youtube.
  13. ↑ "Edwards makes U-M history against Buckeyes". Sports Illustrated - Fan Nation.
  14. ↑ "Michigan football beats Purdue, 43-22, for second straight Big Ten championship". Detroit Free Press.
  15. ↑ "Michigan RB Donovan Edwards reportedly played through second injury in 2022". Mlive.
  16. ↑ "Donovan Edwards' patience and faithfulness paid off in biggest moment". Wolverines Wire - USA Today.
  17. ↑ "Donovan Edwards had his breakout game for Michigan at just the right time". ESPN.
  18. ↑ "Michigan Wins CFB National Title". American Football Coaches Association.
  19. ↑ "Ranking College Footballs's Top 10 Runnings Backs in 2024". ESPN.
  20. ↑ "The Top 10 Returning Runnings Backs for the 2024 Season". Pro Football Focus.
  21. ↑ "Top 5 for 2024: Running back edition". Mike Farrell Sports.
  22. ↑ "Hunter, Ewers, Edwards share video game cover". ESPN.com. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Michigan RB Donovan Edwards Joins "NFL Total Access"". NFL.
  24. ↑ McMann, Aaron (March 20, 2024). "Michigan RB Donovan Edwards 'has a chip on his shoulder,' motivated in new role". mlive.com. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Michigan football's 4 captains for 2024 aim to follow blueprint for success". Mlive.
  26. ↑ "Michigan v. Arkansas State (2024)". ESPN.
  27. ↑ "Michigan v. USC (2024)". ESPN.
  28. ↑ Hole, Isaiah (December 30, 2023). "Donovan Edwards shares his Christian testimony, staying patient in 2023 season". Wolverines Wire. USA Today. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
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