Donovan Edwards has 'assumed a major leadership role,' Michigan RB room is 'loaded'

Michigan Wolverines football lost perhaps the best running back in its history in Blake Corum — the program’s all-time leader with 58 rushing touchdowns — but it returns an individual who’s made some of the biggest runs in program history in senior Donovan Edwards.

Edwards was an NFL Draft prospect but decided to come back to Michigan for one more season, and it’s presumed that he’ll be the team’s featured back. He rushed for 497 yards and 5 touchdowns on 119 carries last season, with that 4.2 yards-per-carry average being way down from his 7.1 figure in 2022.

Edwards, though, was coming off of a knee surgery last offseason, forcing him to miss spring practices. A year later, the Wolverines are about to hit the practice field, and Edwards is much more healthy.

He’s also been passed the torch from Michigan’s many departing leaders and has had a stronger voice. He’s always been energetic and loud, but offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell said Friday that the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder has upped his game as a leader.

“Donovan has assumed a major leadership role on the team, which was needed,” Campbell said.

“He looks … I saw him walking through the hall yesterday with a cut-off on, and he looks good. He looks like he’s in shape, he’s ready to play, he’s got a chip on his shoulder, he’s got a way about him — and I’m excited.”

One of the staples in the Michigan program under former head coach Jim Harbaugh was a different player or coach addressing the team with ‘wise words’ after practices and workouts — and that tradition has continued under new head man Sherrone Moore. Edwards was chosen after Thursday’s walkthrough.

“He got to have the wise words at the end of practice yesterday, and I thought his message couldn’t have been any better about, ‘We gotta continue to work hard and develop and don’t be satisfied with anything,'” Campbell revealed.

Edwards has also thrived as a pass-catcher throughout his career, with 68 receptions for 714 yards and 3 scores. Even when serving as Michigan’s primary backup over the last two years, he’s had a role as a third-down back and slot receiver on occasion.

“Excited about him,” Campbell continued. “He’s a guy we’ve gotta make sure we put in a great situation that suits his skill set. He’s going to be different than guys we’ve had in the past, but he’s really good at those other things. We gotta make sure we put him in those situations.”

Kalel Mullings and the rest of a ‘loaded’ Michigan running back room

Next on the Michigan depth chart last season was graduate Kalel Mullings, who’s entering his fifth year in a winged helmet. He was listed at 6-foot-2, 239 pounds last season, but Campbell revealed that he’s cut some weight in order to increase his speed, quickness and agility.

Last season, Mullings picked up 10 first downs and scored 1 touchdown on 13 carries in situations where Michigan had 3 yards or less to go. He’s been a short-yardage runner in the past — an area that the Wolverines haven’t trusted Edwards in as much — and appears closer to being a complete back.

“I think that room is loaded with a lot of talent,” Campbell said of the rest of Michigan’s running backs. I think Kalel Mullings is due for a breakout. He’s trimmed down a little bit of weight so he can move a little bit better, which you guys saw … the [20-yard touchdown] run he had against Nebraska might’ve been one of the best. The jump cut, boom, out of there. I’m excited about him.”

Campbell listed the rest of the running backs and shared his excitement.

“And you can go down the list. You got [sophomore] Ben[jamin] Hall, [senior] Tavi[erre] Dunlap, [sophomore] Cole Cabana. Then you got the freshmen coming [in the summer],” Campbell noted. “It’s a deep and versatile room, which I kinda like. You’ve got guys that can do different things. We can put them in different positions. So, it’s a constant evaluation to see what they can do to help us win on Saturdays.”