Michigan star Donovan Edwards opens up about getting "arrogant" following 2023 national championship win

Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards has had an eventful few months from starting the season on fire, his form dipping to redeeming himself in the national championship game against the Washington Huskies. In addition, he was chosen as one of the cover stars of the popular EA Sports College Football 25 game.

During the Big Ten media days on Thursday, Edwards admitted he may have gotten too arrogant after a stellar junior season where he was touted as the next big thing after covering for Blake Corum who was injured.

“I’m always confident but I may have been a little bit arrogant — especially coming off a great sophomore year,” Donovan Edwards said. “I told Angelique (Chengelis) that I wanted to go to the NFL after that year, but I’ve grown a lot and I think that I have — I know that I’ve matured a lot. And you can hear it in my voice when I’m talking to you. It’s a little bit more flowing to me.

I’m also me at the end of the day, so I’ve definitely matured and grew up more."

Donovan Edwards highlights humility after arrogant remark

After a stellar 2022 season, Donovan Edwards was being touted as one of the best running backs in college football and he believed the hype highlighting his plan to enter the 2024 NFL Draft and cement himself as one of the best RBs to have ever played the game.

“I will go down as one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game,” Edwards said at the end of the 2022 season. “I’ll be up there with Walter Payton, Barry Sanders."

Last season did not turn out how he wanted and he struggled averaging 28.1 yards per game with Blake Corum shouldering the responsibility of the Michigan Wolverines' run-heavy game.

Until the national championship game win against the Washington Huskies when Edwards once again showed his abilities by rushing for 104 yards resulting in two touchdowns.

During the Big Ten media days, Edwards admitted that he learned from his less than stellar 2023 season, saying :

“I’m grateful that everything has happened for me because all it’s going to do is continue to push me as a player and as a man. But that adversity has made me a man, and that adversity is going to make me a better football player. I’m still confident. Don’t mistake my confidence for arrogance, but I’m confident within myself and my abilities and my capabilities.”

Donovan Edwards will have a huge role to fill with the departure of Blake Corum for the NFL in addition to being a leader in a team that lost 17 of 22 starters from last season's team.