How Derby running back Dylan Edwards is handling life as a coveted football recruit
Anyone who follows Dylan Edwards on social media knows he has been busy lately.
It seems like the junior running back at Derby High School is constantly sharing news about his latest scholarship offer or passing along a highlight from his latest football camp.
The past two weeks have been filled with both. A grand total of 26 schools have offered him a scholarship, with two high-profile college football teams recently joining the mix. Oklahoma extended an offer after Edwards participated in a camp with the Sooners. Then Jackson State, which is coached by Deion Sanders, followed suit.
That gave Edwards plenty to think about while he spent the weekend in Houston participating in a seven-on-seven camp.
“I am just trying to continue to stay humble,” Edwards said in a phone interview. “Right now, I’m just focused on this offseason and getting better with my teammates.”
Edwards has become the most heavily recruited football prospect in the Wichita area following a sensational junior season with the Panthers. The 5-foot-9 and 165-pound running back rushed for 2,603 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading Derby to the Class 6A state championship game. Afterward, he was named Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year.
Both Kansas and Kansas State have made him a recruiting priority since he first flashed his potential. Many other schools are now doing the same.
Edwards has visited 13 schools and hopes to start making sense of his options by announcing a handful of finalists in the near future. But he has no timetable for a commitment. Right now, he’s trying to enjoy the ride.
“I’m not sure yet,” Edwards said. “I still need to talk to my family. Maybe it’s a surprise. Maybe I’m waiting or maybe I know what I want to do and I just don’t want to tell anyone. I’m just trying to figure everything out so I can do what is best for me.”
Though Edwards is considering all of his options, he mentioned that Jackson State, KU, K-State and Oklahoma were among his “top schools.”
On the Sooners: “Oklahoma has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I definitely worked hard for that offer and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
On Jackson State: “It’s a HBCU and with all the stuff going on in our country right now I think that is a great school to look at. They’re definitely in my top schools.”
Edwards mostly lumped KU and K-State together when he was asked about the Jayhawks and Wildcats.
“I talk to those schools every day,” Edwards said. “I talk to a lot of the coaches on their staffs, not just my position coach. Being an in-state kid and having those schools interested in me is a blessing. I don’t take it for granted at all. They are both in my top schools. I could fit in well with both of them.”
Still, Edwards has a special connection with the Wildcats.
His father, Leon, played running back for K-State under former coach Bill Snyder in the early 1990s. They visit campus together on a regular basis. Edwards was in Manhattan for several K-State home games last season.
“I love the family atmosphere,” Edwards said. “Every time I walk by the student section they are in there screaming my name. That’s a great feeling. I have to do what is best for me. If it’s K-State, then great. If it’s not, then I know they will understand. I like that about their coaches. We have a great relationship and that is always going to last.”
Fun as it is for Edwards to talk to college coaches and visit college campuses all across the country, he hasn’t forgotten that he still has one more season of high school football coming up.
He seems more motivated to help Derby win a championship than he does to pick up another scholarship offer. Perhaps that is one of the reason so many college coaches like him.
“I’ve been very focused this offseason, because this is my my senior year,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to end it with another loss in the state championship. I want to go to the state championship and actually win it from my last year. So that’s what I’m focused on. I want to win it all this year and then go to college in December.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 1:08 PM with the headline "How Derby running back Dylan Edwards is handling life as a coveted football recruit."