Donovan Edwards Explains Why Michigan Will Be Great Again In 2024

Unless Michigan goes 15-0 and wins another national title in 2024, there will be a step back. If there is, it won't be major — Donovan Edwards explains why.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards lifts the trophy to celebrate the 34-13 win over Washington in / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan just went 15-0 and won a national championship. The Wolverines are certainly riding high, but there are plenty of challenges for the maize and blue in 2024 — a new quarterback, at least 15 new starters on both sides of the ball, a daunting schedule, almost an entirely new coaching staff and a new head coach. That's a lot to overcome, but star tailback Donovan Edwards is not worried.

"You know what? This team has been built upon a culture," Edwards recently said inside Michigan's practice facility. "And the culture started when I was a freshman when Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Ross implemented what this team is all about. And in my sophomore year, it was the exact same thing. During my junior year, exact same thing. Senior year, for me, exact same thing. So nothing's going to change for this program."

Even though there has been a lot of turnover with the staff and the roster, Edwards is confident that the culture will remain. Too many guys care too much to let things change just because the faces are new.

"Nothing's going to change for Coach [Sherrone Moore] with this team," Edwards said. "Yes, there's different guys, but these different guys are going to have to be able to understand what it's all about to be a Michigan man and the Michigan Wolverines. So as long as the camaraderie is high with us, as long as the team chemistry is there, then the sky's the limit for us."

Edwards himself has obviously been huge in huge moments, but he's going to need to step up and be more consistent in 2024. Some other new guys have already made some plays but this year, it needs to become a regular thing. Edwards identified a couple of those younger players and explained why it's just business as usual.

"I'm excited to have new guys," he said. "I'm excited to see different faces emerge like Semaj Morgan. I'm excited to see T-Mo [Tyler Morris]. I'm excited to see who the quarterback is going to be for us because they all have embraced it. That's why we've been flying around, man — nothing has changed."

Obviously Sherrone Moore has been a part of the success so he knows what works. Edwards sees Moore taking the baton from Jim Harbaugh and running with it. We've all seen a little bit of that already as Moore stepped in for a suspended Harbaugh last year and it feels like it's going to keep right on moving forward.

"Coach Moore has continued to lay the ground rules and the foundations, and the leaders have continued to lead," Edwards said. "We call player meetings, we call player-led team meetings. When something isn't clicking, there's a leader saying, 'Yo, we gotta go!' Somebody's going to say, 'Let's pick it up more!' Somebody's going to say we're doing great, good job. That's the positive reinforcement as well as the negative reinforcement that's being balanced That all started in 2021 with the prior leaders before us and we're just continuing to uphold it."