The Kansas football team has been pretty fortunate over the last several seasons at running back. Devin Neal was the star at that position for four years before moving on to the New Orleans Saints. Last season, the Jayhawks used Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams effectively.
This season, KU will look to K-State transfer Dylan Edwards and Syracuse transfer Yasin Willis to lead the Kansas ground game. Of the two, Edwards is the most intriguing. He started his career at Colorado but moved to K-State for two seasons.
He played in 12 games as a freshman but saw limited action. He got 76 carries for 321 yards. In his first season with Kansas State, he was the understudy for DJ Giddons, who is now in the NFL. The Wildcats' quarterback Avery Johnson was also a big part of that running game, but Edwards still found a way to produce 546 yards on just 74 carries.
Edwards also showed the ability to be an effective option out of the backfield in the passing game. In his first two seasons, he pulled in 55 catches for 432 yards and six touchdowns.
Last year was supposed to be his year to break out and be the lead back for Kansas State, but that didn't happen. He suffered an ankle injury early in the first game of the season. He ended up playing in four games, but he was effective in only one of those, gaining 166 yards on 20 attempts.
What will Dylan Edwards bring to the Kansas offense?
When healthy and receiving regular playing time, Edwards has been explosive. In the one game when he was completely healthy last year, 8.3 yards per rush. His sophomore year, he produced yardage in chunks, averaging 7.4 yards per rush. Those are impressive numbers.
Edwards is set to become the top option for the Jayhawks this season, and if he can remain healthy, KU should expect a return to the explosive, big-play back Edwards has been in the past.
The two big questions about him are if he can stay healthy with the increased workload of a lead back and if he can still break off big runs when defenses are focused on him.
There are bigger questions surrounding the Jayhawks that could certainly influence how successful Edwards can be. Will the offensive line be up to the task of blocking effectively against Big 12 defenses, and can the passing game be a positive?
If the line can't open up holes, then it will be tough for whoever is running the ball. No one knows who will be the quarterback yet (which is hardly ever a good sign), but will the passing game be able to loosen up defenses and keep them from loading up in the box to stifle the run?
Edwards has the talent and skills to be an excellent running back, but the Jayhawks need to be competitive in all areas of their offense. If Edwards doesn't have room, he's going to have a hard time.
Edwards could have a massive season in 2026, even if he splits time with Willis. Kansas has a bevy of young backs on the roster as well, and a couple will surely emerge as candidates for a few carries a game, but Edwards should see the most action. He's also aided in the fact he can catch passes too.
Edwards talents are exciting to contemplate, and he could be yet another exciting Kansas football running back star.
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