Deion Sanders on facing former RB Dylan Edwards: 'I'm happy if he's happy'

In April, running back Dylan Edwards transferred from Colorado to Kansas State. On Saturday, Edwards will face off against his former team for the first time. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders weighed in on the impending reunion against his former standout RB.

“I’m always happy if you’re happy,” Sanders said on Thursday. “I don’t want you to ever be in a situation where you’re unhappy, you don’t have peace. So I’m happy if he’s happy. I know he was unhappy for a minute here because he wanted some things that — it just wasn’t gonna happen.

“At your age and stage, you got to develop into that. So I was happy that he finally made a decision to do what he needed to do to make sure he brings peace into his life.”

Through five games this season, Edwards boasts 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He has also tallied seven catches for 37 yards and a score.

For reference, Edwards notched 321 rushing yards, 299 receiving yards and five total touchdowns in the 2023 campaign at Colorado. Edwards finished the season as Colorado’s leading rusher while he currently has the third-most rushing yards for Kansas State.

However, it’s worth noting the Wildcats run the ball far more in their offense than Colorado. Edwards reportedly left Colorado on good terms, with his coaches and teammates speaking highly of him even after he entered the transfer portal.

Nonetheless, both Edwards and his former teammates will hope to have the last laugh on Saturday.

“I know he’s excited about the opportunity,” Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman said of Edwards. “I know he was excited about his time there. He has a ton of friends there. A lot of those teammates were his brothers, and that’s what college football is right now. Coaches do that as well as players, and so it’s always probably a little bit more special when you have a relationship with a previous school, whether you’re a player or a coach. 

“But the same thing: once that game starts, it’s in between the white lines, and you’ve got to beat your opponent, just like you do in practice. And so I’m excited for him. He’s playing really well, and he’s healthy, he’s fresh, and we’ve got to find ways to utilize him.”

Edwards will have an opportunity to explode against his former team. Colorado’s defense is allowing 156 rushing yards per game this season, ranking No. 80 in the FBS.

On Saturday, Dylan Edwards and Kansas State will look to take advantage of Colorado’s weaknesses as they square off at 10:15 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.