Michigan running back Donovan Edwards returned for his senior season to help lead the Wolverines, but he’d rather not be referred to as “RB1” heading into fall camp.
Edwards, one of the standouts from the CFP National Championship Game, said that he understands he must earn his spot on the 2024 U-M team just like everyone else.
“I don’t like the, ‘This is my running back room.’ I’m over that now,” Edwards told 247Sports this week in an exclusive interview.
“I’m at the point where everyone in my room has the potential to be a running back. They also have a chance to get 20 or more carries. Whether it is Kalel Mullings, me, or Ben Hall, you name it. I don’t like that title because we all contribute to the program’s success.
Where Edwards sees himself is as a team leader. The excellent running back, a former five-star prospect from West Bloomfield, Mich., has helped the Big Ten win three consecutive seasons and the national championship in 2023.
As he begins his senior year, Edwards knows he must uphold the program’s standard among a group of players who haven’t experienced much losing.
“I think that our challenge is we lost a lot of guys, right? A lot of guys that were here for four or five years, maybe six years, who understood what this culture and what this program is all about,” Edwards said.
“We were at a low point and have now reached the top. And I would argue that there are folks — it’s clear that we stepped into a 15-0 season, right? You were there with all your success. But we have lost games. We’ve lost against Michigan State before. We lost to Georgia. We lost to TCU. And I still have that memory and that fire inside me.
“Our junior class was represented by Will Johnson, Alex Orji, Colston Loveland, Mason Graham, and Kenneth Grant, among others. Rod Moore and Makari Paige. We were all present. And I believe it is our responsibility as leaders to be able to inspire the boys. It’s like, “Hey, anything can happen.” We could lose games. We do not want to lose games. And that is not what we intend to do. But we came in here with a 15-0 championship. We had to be humble and tell ourselves, ‘We need to go do it again. We have our rings, but set them aside. Come back to it once your college career is over.
