Dylan Edwards is preparing for new ‘all-purpose’ role with Kansas State Wildcats
Dylan Edwards wants to play as many snaps as possible next season for the Kansas State football team, but he doesn’t want to be known as an every-down running back.
He would rather be an “all-purpose player.”
What’s the difference? In his mind, there is a significant distinction between the two labels.
“I want to be an all-purpose player, not really an all-purpose back,” Edwards said this week. “I mean, that is my title as far as my position goes. But I feel like I can do a lot more than just run the ball in the backfield. Hopefully, I will show that this year.”
Edwards, a 5-foot-9 and 167-pound sophomore running back from Derby, is entering his second season in Manhattan with high expectations ... for good reason.
The Colorado transfer didn’t get an abundance of touches during the regular season last year, but he exploded with 223 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns for the Wildcats during a 44-41 victory over Rutgers at the Rate Bowl.
Former K-State star running back DJ Giddens skipped that game while he prepared for the NFL Draft, which opened the door for Edwards to dominate the K-State backfield. He took advantage with an MVP performance. Now he is looking to take on an even bigger role in 2025.
Perhaps that means he will make plays as both a running back and wide receiver, the type of offensive weapon that quarterback Avery Johnson can look to in any situation.
“I’ve been working on everything,” Edwards said. “I’m just getting bigger, stronger, faster. Mentally, I am also trying to have more of a football IQ. That’s something I definitely wanted to work on this offseason and something that I have been pushing towards. Really, I am just becoming a better overall football player.”
K-State football coach Chris Klieman has praised Edwards for the work he has done in the weight room this spring.
Edwards has added valuable muscle to his frame and proven that he is one of the fastest players on the entire roster by sprinting faster than 23 miles per hour in practice.
He is currently in such good shape that Edwards boldly says he is even faster than Johnson.
You didn’t hear words like that from Edwards last season. Looking back on his first year in purple, he says his highlight moment was simply running onto the field with his teammates during the home-opener. Edwards had a wild recruitment that saw him decommit from both K-State and Notre Dame on his way to Colorado. But he finally felt at home at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
One could say he was simply happy to be here. He is aiming for more now that spring practice has begun.
“I definitely think I’m playing faster,” Edwards said, “just with the plays that we’ve been given. I think I can play even faster. So I can’t wait.”