Michigan running back Donovan Edwards announced he's returning to the Wolverines for the 2024 season.

Donovan Edwards ¹ᵏ @DEdwards__

<a href="">

Edwards ran for 497 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. He saved his best performance for the College Football Playoff title game, carrying the ball six times for 104 yards and two scores in a 34-13 win over Washington.

His announcement comes a day after Michigan lost leading passer J.J. McCarthy and leading rusher Blake Corum to the NFL.

The offensive turnover goes well beyond McCarthy and Corum as well. Unanimous first-team All-American guard Zak Zinter is moving on along with Rimington Trophy finalist Drake Nugent. Two of the Wolverines' top three receivers, Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, are out the door.

When accounting for all of the departures, retaining Edwards is a major boon for Michigan. Having a stable running game gives something on which the coaching staff can maintain an offensive foundation.

For Edwards, helping the Wolverines defend their national championship was probably a secondary consideration behind boosting his NFL draft stock.

Last July, The Athletic's Dane Brugler evaluated the top running backs who were eligible for the 2024 draft and ranked Edwards as the third-best prospect at the position.

"His blend of burst, acceleration and vision makes him dangerous any time he touches the ball, with one NFL area scout comparing him to the Jaguars' Travis Etienne Jr.," Brugler wrote.

Now that he's no longer sharing the spotlight with Corum, Edwards has an opportunity to shine brighter than he ever has in Ann Arbor. A big senior year could plausibly catapult him to the top of the running back hierarchy in 2025.