Michigan’s Donovan Edwards Makes Brash Comparison to Sanders, Payton

The junior running back confidently compared himself to two of the greatest rushers of all time.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards might not be the Wolverines’ first option at tailback, but that hasn’t affected his confidence in his abilities. 

Speaking with Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus, Edwards discussed how he’s remained patient while playing behind the likes of Blake Corum and previously Hassan Haskins on Michigan’s depth chart. 

When speaking of what’s yet to come from him, Edwards boldly guaranteed that he’s going to leave a major mark on the game of football, likening his own potential to that of game-changing running backs Walter Payton and Barry Sanders.

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“I will go down as one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game,” Edwards declared to PFF. “I’ll be up there with Walter Payton, Barry Sanders. I believe I will revolutionize the game and the position. This is the perfect time for me because the NFL wants running backs who can catch.

“If the NFL wants a linebacker on me, good luck with that. I don’t care who you are. Good luck guarding me. I see all the stuff right now with how the running backs aren’t getting paid. I believe that I’ll get paid for how I play the game.”

If there’s anything Edwards’s game is lacking, it isn’t confidence.

Last season as a sophomore, Edwards rushed 140 times for 991 yards and seven touchdowns. As a freshman in 2021, he recorded 35 carries for 174 yards and three touchdowns. He’s averaging 6.7 yards per carry across his career, having appeared in 22 games for the Wolverines. 

He’s set to enter his junior season in 2023 and is projected as Michigan’s No. 2 backfield option, behind Corum, who surprisingly decided to return to Ann Arbor for his senior season.