The Michigan Wolverines are stepping into a new era, without Jim Harbaugh at the helm. Does this mean that they won’t be the same force they were in the 2023 season? Not so much, if it’s left up to Donovan Edwards. The running back is one of the few stars who are returning after last year’s championship season and though the squad has been revamped and reconstructed, the Wolverines will still lead with the same claws that cut deep into the Big 10 last year.

On the 12th August episode of the Joel Klatt show, he took to the mic to discuss the biggest threats in the Big 10 league and while he tried to downplay the power that Michigan will hold this season, Donovan Edwards’ presence made him change his mind. Klatt chose Ohio State’s biggest threats between Michigan, Penn State, and USC, and supposedly, it is the men in maize that take the cake. Additionally, since Sherrone Moore has taken over the reins, he is expected to live up to the standard that Harbaugh left behind in his wake. Not to mention, all the scandals that the team was surrounded in 2023 make it all the more crucial for the Wolverines to put up a similar 15-0 record on the board to ensure that their success wasn’t just a product of unfair advantages.

As per Klatt, the post-Jim Harbaugh era under Sherrone Moore means that everything’s new, right? Well, apparently not so much so since his experience at Ann Arbor made him realize that the might of the team remains the same as long as Edwards is a Wolverine. He narrated his experience and said, “Man, look at new head coach and new coordinator, new strength coach, new quarterback, all the new new new, and Donovan Edwards is looking at me like, “What do you mean new? Nothing’s new, nothing’s changed. We are Michigan.” I was like, okay, all right, so they’re the biggest threat.” Sure the Michigan Wolverines have had major changes to their roster, but if Moore can hold the fort down well this season, the reigning national champions might just be on their way to securing their second consecutive win with the help of Edwards’ explosive legs. With that being said, let’s take a look at the heavy responsibilities that Edwards will carry throughout this upcoming season and how he’s preparing himself for the challenge.

Donovan Edwards is ready to step up!

This is the fourth and final year that Michigan fans will get to witness Edwards don the number 7 jersey. If this is the RB’s last bullet in the chamber, he will try his best to make it count since he’s one of the leading heroes that the team will depend on. During the 2023 season, Edwards appeared in all of their 15 games and rushed 119 times for 497 yards with 5 TDs and added a total of 30 catches for 249 yards. Edwards’ performance played a big role in ensuring that the team went unbeatable but now, he will take on the role of a starting RB, something which he hasn’t done yet.

Blake Corum was the star RB of the team until he left for the NFL this year and now Edwards will have to dust off the shelves and take on the major responsibility that he’s been waiting for so long. Talking about becoming a starting running back, Edwards was heard saying, “I’ve always been the No. 1 back, I’ve always been having my number called on. I had to take a backseat to that. Most people, I believe they would have transferred out. But I wasn’t. I was going to stay the course and stay patient. And ultimately it was going to pay off for me.” Thus, it is going to be a new day for both Edwards and Michigan as they try out different roles amidst a team that needs to prove to the community that they’re more than their cheating controversies.