Derby running back Dylan Edwards flips commitment from Kansas State to Notre Dame
Dylan Edwards took a different approach to his college announcement the second time around.
Instead of inviting the public to his high school for a raucous ceremony that felt like a pep rally, as he did when he committed to Kansas State in June, the coveted running back from Derby shared his new destination from home on Saturday in a quiet interview with 247Sports that was streamed live on YouTube.
When he announced to the world that he now intends to play college football at Notre Dame, his parents clapped in approval as he placed a green Irish hat on his head. Little more than a week after Edwards withdrew his commitment from K-State, he is now heading to one of the most storied football programs of all time.
He is happy about his decision, but the process of turning his back on K-State made his journey there stressful.
“Through this week there have been a lot of trials and tribulations,” Edwards said. “I have gotten a lot of, you know, bad calls and bad texts. But I try to look past that and lean on my family and pray to God that I am making the right decision. This is where I want to be.”
Edwards, a 5-foot-9 and 165-pound speedster, was lauded as the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year following his junior season at Derby, during which he led his team to the 6A state championship game by rushing for 2,603 yards and 40 touchdowns.
That has made him one of the most highly recruited players in the Sunflower State. Last spring, he announced a top 10 of schools that included Jackson State, KU, K-State, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Nebraska, Washington and Wisconsin.
He followed through with recruiting visits to K-State, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Then he chose the Wildcats in June. He stayed true to his K-State commitment for 36 days, until he decided to reconsider his options when Notre Dame entered the picture.
The Fighting Irish offered him a scholarship after their coaches watch him run the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds at a football camp. The thought of playing for Notre Dame was too much for him to ignore. Edwards said he got on a plane the following day and made an official recruiting visit to South Bend.
He felt an immediate connection with Marcus Freeman and their offensive coaches.
When he returned home, he announced that he was re-opening his recruitment, much to the surprise of K-State fans. His intention to flip to Notre Dame seemed clear at the time. He made it official on Saturday, saying that he picked Notre Dame over K-State and Oregon.
“Notre Dame, I feel like, hasn’t had the speed on their team that I have,” Edwards said. “I can bring in a whole new level of playmaking to South Bend. I can’t wait to get there.”
When asked about K-State, Edwards said “I have nothing but love for them.”
But he also has high hopes for his college football future at Notre Dame.
“It’s about winning a national championship,” Edwards said. “I think under Coach Freeman we can do that.”
This story was originally published August 6, 2022 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Derby running back Dylan Edwards flips commitment from Kansas State to Notre Dame."