Derby running back Dylan Edwards withdraws his commitment from Kansas State Wildcats
Dylan Edwards has changed his mind.
A little more than one month after announcing his plans to play college football at Kansas State during a raucous ceremony inside his high school, the Derby running back has decided to look elsewhere and potentially attend a different college.
“At this moment I’d like to thank the whole Kansas State staff and fan base for this amazing opportunity to become a Wildcat,” Edwards wrote on social media. “After recent thoughts and talks with my family, I’d like to de-commit and take a step back and re-open my recruitment.”
His change of heart is a gut-punch for K-State fans, who were counting on Edwards to be a leader for the Wildcats during the 2023 recruiting cycle.
The coveted running back seemed like a perfect fit for K-State, given how much success the Wildcats have experienced over the years with small ball-carriers. Some thought he could follow in the footsteps of Darren Sproles and Deuce Vaughn, not not to mention his father, Leon, who also played at K-State under Bill Snyder.
At his announcement ceremony, Edwards boasted that there was no way he was going to back off his commitment. He even said he would go out of his way to try and convince the best players from across the state to choose the Wildcats, even if they had previously announced plans to attend college elsewhere.
“I don’t see myself de-committing or leaving or doing anything like going in the (transfer) portal,” Edwards said. “This is where I want to be. This is where I’m gonna live.”
Despite those words, it wasn’t to be.
Why?
Well, Notre Dame offered Edwards a scholarship earlier this week. One can only surmise that Edwards is now strongly considering playing for the Fighting Irish.
Edwards originally chose K-State over Oklahoma and Nebraska, but oral commitments aren’t binding. A player is only tied to a school once he signs a letter of intent. The door remained open for other schools to lure Edwards away from K-State, and it appears Notre Dame did exactly that.
It’s possible the Wildcats could still end up landing Edwards, but his change of heart makes that seem unlikely.
“Kansas State will always have a special place in my heart,” Edwards said. “But you get this opportunity one time, and with god’s grace I’ll pick what is fully best for me.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 9:33 PM with the headline "Derby running back Dylan Edwards withdraws his commitment from Kansas State Wildcats."