‘I failed last year’: Why K-State running back Dylan Edwards is striving for more
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Dylan Edwards labeled his 2024 season a failure despite key touchdowns and MVP honors.
- K-State coaches and teammates expect Edwards to thrive with increased playbook fluency.
- Edwards aims for versatility in 2025, contributing as runner, receiver and returner.
By most accounts, Dylan Edwards had a productive first season with the Kansas State football team.
Just don’t mention that to Edwards.
Even though the Derby running back amassed 679 yards of total offense, scored seven touchdowns and won MVP honors for the Wildcats at the Rate Bowl, he was not impressed by his own play. In fact, he was disappointed in himself. When asked what he did best as a sophomore, Edwards now responds with just one word — nothing.
“I failed last year,” Edwards said, “in what I wanted to do as a player. As a team, we won a lot of games. But as a player I feel like I failed myself. So this year, I’m trying to get back to how happy I can be.”
Many will disagree with that self-assessment. For someone who was stuck behind star running back DJ Giddens (1,601 total yards and eight touchdowns) last season, Edwards gave the Wildcats an unmistakable boost by averaging 7.4 yards per carry as a backup.
But Edwards clearly holds himself to a high standard.
“I just feel like I could have been a better overall player and teammate last year,” Edwards said. “This year, I’m just trying to push forward.”
That kind of statement begs another question. What will a successful season look like for Edwards this fall?
Does he need to put up better numbers than Deuce Vaughn and Giddens did before him? Does he need to earn all-conference honors? Something else?
K-State offensive coordinator Matt Wells was happy to share his thoughts on the topic.
“Lot of yards rushing, some dynamic catches and hopefully a punt return or two for a score so we don’t even have to play on offense,” Wells said of Edwards. “That would be cool. But he’s electric. We all know it. Every time the ball touches his hands, you have a chance to hold up one finger and say, ‘Kick it’ (extra point). He can go. He can hit a home run. I envision him in space. I envision him in between the tackles. He’s going to play receiver, he’s going to play running back. He’s a talented kid.”
Avery Johnson also thinks Edwards is poised for a big season.
The junior quarterback noticed that the game was too fast for him, at times, last year. After starting his college career at Colorado, it was difficult for him to master the ins and outs of K-State’s playbook over the course of a few short months. But that is no longer an issue as he prepares for his second year in Manhattan.
“The amount of information he had to learn definitely was not easy,” Johnson said. “So just being able to have a whole season under his belt, and a whole spring and now another training camp, he’s becoming a lot more free and a lot more comfortable. Now he can go out and do his thing.”
That should help him reach his full potential as a running back.
At the very least, it should help him earn a passing grade this season.
“I feel like I’m playing way faster,” Edwards said. “I’m not looking at the call three or four times. I’m sometimes looking at the script before we even go out to practice and I know what’s next. So I don’t even look at the call sometimes. Just having that next play mindset and knowing that I’m ready before I go out there (gives me confidence) that I will play way better.”
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 9:00 AM with the headline "‘I failed last year’: Why K-State running back Dylan Edwards is striving for more."