Freshman Dylan Edwards developing into dynamic playmaker for CU Buffs

BuffZone
PUBLISHED August 7, 2023 at 4:29 p.m. | UPDATED: August 7, 2023 at 7:29 p.m.
Dylan Edwards came to Colorado with a lot of hype as a four-star recruit who flipped a commitment to Notre Dame to join the Buffaloes.
Last week, CU head coach Deion Sanders said Edwards has been “more” than advertised.
As the Buffs go through preseason camp, the question is, how exactly will the Buffs use Edwards in their offense?
A 5-foot-9, 170-pound speedster from Derby, Kan., Edwards is a running back, but not quite like anyone else in that room – or on the roster, for that matter.
“I don’t think we have anyone on the team that can do what Dylan does,” running backs coach Gary “Flea” Harrell said Monday after the Buffs completed their fifth practice of the preseason. “He’s a guy from any part of the field can make a play because his speed, because his mindset, and we understand that.”
Sanders said Friday that the Buffs plan on having Edwards return kicks, “as well as getting the ball to him as much as possible” on offense.
That’s not necessarily going to be at running back all the time, either.
Harrell said Edwards probably isn’t an every down running back at this stage because he’s got to get better at pass protection and running between the tackles consistently. But, he’s also a player the Buffs clearly want on the field often.
“His confidence is there,” Harrell said. “He understands the game, his assignments; that’s no problem. It’s just right now to put him in position where it best fits him.”
That includes flexing Edwards out and lining him up at receiver sometimes.
“We’re cross training him to get that done,” Harrell said. “He understands the passing game. He’s talented enough to do it as far as running the routes, catching the football.
“He’s dynamic. He’s very explosive. Anytime, any part of the field he’s a problem for the defense and I think that’s going to be recognized very early in the game. As a defense, you’ve gotta make sure that he’s accounted in your scouting report.”
Edwards’ talent isn’t in question, but the Buffs are aiming to make sure he’s prepared to handle everything that goes into being a college football player.
“Understand he’s young, out of high school,” Harrell said. “It was very good to get him early in the spring to get him acclimated to the campus and college life but there’s some maturity that he needs to develop, as far as knowing how to manage time.”
In the early going of camp, Edwards can focus on football because classes haven’t started, but soon he’ll have to balance both. He did balance both in the spring, but Harrell said that’s not like the fall.
“We’re trying to get him to the point where he understands that as far as going through a season, spring season and fall season are completely different,” Harrell said. “He has to be able to do both and right now we’re trying to see the maturity in him to see if he’s able to handle the things on and off the football field.”
Harrell said the Buffs are also trying to get Edwards to handle adversity.
“He wears it on his face and you see it on the football field,” Harrell said. “If something goes wrong, if someone hits him the wrong way, it’s very confrontational. We play fast and I tell him all the time you deal with that later. Get the ball in, let’s get the next play on.”
Trying to develop that maturity is common for young players, though, and Harrell said once Edwards gets there “that’s going to help him be a better person and ultimately a better football player.”
A more focused, mature Edwards could be scary for CU opponents because the Buffs are already excited about what he can do in their offense.
“Dylan Edwards is a phenomenal, electrifying player,” Sanders said.