Michigan Football: Donovan Edwards is looking like a difference maker

Michigan football has been taking part in spring practices over the past few weeks and one guy who has stood out is freshman running back Donovan Edwards. 

Michigan football fans have gotten used to the offseason chatter and the hype some teams and players weren’t able to live up to.

So it’s understandable that a segment of the Michigan football fanbase will always roll its eyes when you talk about guys killing it in the offseason. They will wait for the proof on the field.

That’s a reasonable approach to make and with running back Donovan Edwards, they will definitely see the proof is in the pudding this fall.

Edwards, a five-star running back recruit in 2021 according to 247 sports, has been standing out during spring practices and it’s something multiple outlets have reported.

Hassan Haskins told Wolverines Wire this about Edwards a few weeks ago:

"“Donovan — yeah, I like him,” Haskins said. “He’s been doing excellent. He’s been running well, he’s been learning plays, offensive plays, stuff like that. He’s been doing everything right. He can play early.”"

Edwards and five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy were two of the gems in Michigan football’s 2021 recruiting class, at least on the offensive side of the ball, along with top-100 wideout Xavier Worthy who is expected to enroll later.

It’s good that Edwards is doing everything he can to get on the field, because according to Chris Balas of Rivals (subscription required), Edwards has performed like someone capable of competing for the starting job.

You’ll have to subscribe to get all the details, but suffice it to say that Edwards is among those standing out in spring practice, which isn’t a shock, because others have said that too.

Of course, Edwards starting would mean that Hassan Haskins isn’t, but regardless of the role Edwards plays next season, Haskins is going to get a bunch of carries. Blake Corum will also have a role. The coaching staff just needs to a better job of defining what those are.

As I said, Michigan fans have a right to skeptical about these kinds of reports. But the good news is that so far at least, Edwards sounds like exactly the player the Wolverines thought they were getting.

And if he can be a difference-maker right away, it could give Michigan that elite offensive playmaker it has been lacking for a long time.