Michigan football captain Donovan Edwards opts out of ReliaQuest Bowl vs Alabama

Posted by Admin December 15, 2024 Football

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One of the faces of EA Sports’ “College Football 25,” a team captain and the man known as “Big Game Don” for Michigan football has played his final game for the maize and blue.

Senior running back Donovan Edwards spoke with WXYZ-TV on Saturday in Troy at the football team’s toy drive at Somerset Mall, where it became clear he’s done suiting up for the Wolverines — he will sit out U-M’s New Year’s Eve ReliaQuest Bowl matchup vs. Alabama — and has turned his attention toward a professional career in the NFL.

“I just have a lot on my mind right now,” Edwards said. “I haven’t really had the opportunity to look back and reflect, but for the most part, I’ve always been grateful for all the support that the Michigan fans have given me. … This place will always have a special place in my heart.”

The senior, a five-star recruit out of West Bloomfield, was second on the Wolverines in 2024 in carries (128), rushing yards (589) and rushing touchdowns (four). It is expected he will soon declare for the 2025 NFL draft, following defensive tackle Mason Graham, tight end Colston Loveland and offensive lineman Myles Hinton, who all announced their decisions this past week.

Edwards ends his career second all-time in receiving yards by a Michigan running back (797), finishing 13 yards behind Anthony Thomas (810).

Edwards looked well on pace for this record, catching 20 passes for 265 yards as a freshman and 18 more for 200 yards as a sophomore. Though the big plays were down as a junior, he was used more than ever in the pass game, with 30 catches for 249 yards.

He had just 18 catches for 83 receiving yards this season.

Edwards was a and lived up to his status as a five-star recruit in 2021, at certain points. He had more than 3,000 all-purpose yards with 23 touchdowns as a three-time Big Ten champion, Rose Bowl champion and national champion.

He was also 4-0 against Ohio State.

That includes the most historic game of his career: at Ohio State in 2022. In his first career start, he stepped in for an injured Blake Corum and ran 22 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, to deliver U-M its first win in Columbus in more than two decades.

Edwards, who ran 422 times for 2,251 yards (5.3 yards per carry) in his career, followed that with 189 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the Big Ten championship game against Purdue.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Hail Yes!” your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.