“I'm ready. I'm ready to play. I'm ready to play right now, and I'm just happy. That's something that’s different. I'm very happy here.”
Those are the words of Kansas State transfer running back Dylan Edwards. For the last two seasons, Edwards has been trained to take down his in-state rivals, Kansas University; now, as he stands in front of the media, it is not a Kansas State-printed background behind him, but rather KU Blue.
Edwards left the Wildcats last season, having played just four of their opening six games. After sustaining an ankle injury in Kansas State’s 24-21 season-opening loss to Iowa State, Edwards never appeared the same, having finished his shortened season with 34 rushes for 205 yards and two touchdowns as Chris Klieman’s squad went 1-3 with Edwards playing, before eventually pushing to a 6-6 regular season.
When Edwards hit the transfer portal, he was ranked as the nation’s 11th-best running back and 179th overall player. Ultimately, Edwards chose to join his former rivals.
“Yeah, I was considering a few other places, but I'm here now, so it doesn't matter,” smiled the junior.
Edwards’ new approach to football ahead of this season
When asked if there is something he is going to try to do differently than his time in Manhattan, Edwards was eager to respond.
“Have fun. Have more fun. Try not to be so serious. This game is supposed to be fun, and I'm trying to play for it, play for a long time, so as long as I have fun with it, I think I can play for a long time.”
Coming out of high school, Edwards was ranked as the nation’s 224th prospect, making him the second-best player from Kansas and the 12th-ranked running back overall.
This isn’t the Derby native’s first submission to the portal. After being used sparingly under Deion Sanders at Colorado, Edwards made the move to Kansas State, where his quick cuts and electric speed made him one of the nation’s best running backs.
In his sophomore season, Edwards notched an impressive 546 yards and five touchdowns with an additional two through the air.
Throughout his career thus far, Edwards has averaged 5.8 yards per carry, with 15 total touchdowns to his name and 1,072 rushing yards. Proving that when healthy, Kansas will have one of the most dynamic running backs the Big 12 has to offer.
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