Michigan running back Donovan Edwards took it to Ohio State on the field in Columbus last season, rushing for 216 yards and a pair of touchdowns en route to the Wolverines’ 45-23 win.
Now, with the 2023 season on the horizon, Edwards has taken to trying to battle Ohio State off the field. In an interview with 247Sports earlier this week, Edwards – asked about his recruitment by Ohio State – said he was on top of the Buckeyes’ board at running back ahead of his commitment to Michigan.
“I was their No. 1 running back on the board,” Edwards recalled. “I was just taking my time during the recruitment, and they told me they were going to take two running backs. I’m like, ‘Cool. That’s perfect. … You’ve got to have two running backs in the class at least.'”
Ohio State ultimately took commitments from a pair of four-star, top-100 tailbacks in Evan Pryor out of Cornelius (N.C.) William Amos Hough and TreVeyon Henderson out of Hopewell, Va. Edwards, who hailed from West Bloomfield, Mich., took it personally after being recruited by the Buckeyes.
“Evan committed first. I was like, ‘Alright, cool.’ I was still taking my time with the recruitment,” Edwards said. “Then they took TreVeyon. I was just like, ‘Alright, bet! Now it’s on! Now it’s on!’ I was just like, ‘Alright, I’m about to go to a school and just kick y’all ass!’ That’s how I was feeling. I’m going to go to a school and let y’all see what y’all missed out on – and look at it (now).”
While Ohio State likely has not had any qualms about taking Henderson and Pryor in the class, considering Henderson scored a freshman-record 19 touchdowns in his first year with the Buckeyes, Edwards was quick to point out the Wolverines’ success over the last two years, the first back-to-back wins for Michigan over Ohio State since 1999-00.
“It’s about who’s better in the trenches – our offensive line or their defensive line,” he said. “I don’t have to say anything else. It’s pretty self-explanatory.”
