Georgia football: Who is Donovan Edwards, running back who recently visited UGA

One of the best running backs in the 2021 class recently visited UGA. Michigan’s Donovan Edwards reportedly enjoyed his unofficial Georgia football visit.

“Running Back U” never stops recruiting running backs. Georgia football recently had the No. 2 ranked running back in the nation on its campus.

Donovan Edwards was in Athens on February 1 on an unofficial visit. Edwards also visited Texas and Texas A&M later in the week. Though Edwards’ bonds with Ohio State and Michigan are his strongest, you can never count out Georgia in the race for any blue chip running back.

But who is Donovan Edwards? Is he a running back worthy of a spot at “Running Back U? And what shot do the Bulldogs have of stealing Edwards from the heart of the Big 10?

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Player profile

Donovan Edwards is a little on the small side right now. He’s 5-11 and 190 lbs. according to his profile on 247Sports. He attends West Bloomfield High School, a school that sent four players to FBS schools in the most recent recruiting class. Most West Bloomfield products end up in the Big 10 and Mid-American Conference.

Though many players have come through West Bloomfield, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Edwards may be the best. He had over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior in 2019, leading West Bloomfield to a district championship.

On the field

Watching his highlights, there isn’t one thing about Edwards’ game that really stands out, he just gets the job done. He’s not the fastest player, but his initial burst will put him out of reach of most defenders. He’s not the strongest player, but he’s physical and he’s hard to bring down.

Edwards is the bulk of the West Bloomfield offense. They run him between the tackles and around the ends. They’ll send him on screens and flats, but will also line him up at the slot and use him as a vertical threat. At times, his style of play will remind Georgia fans of Knowshon Moreno. He does tend to run vertically a lot however and it costs him yardage at the end of his runs.

A future Dawg?

Georgia didn’t offer Edwards a scholarship until July 31. By then, he had already visited Ohio State and had received offers from most Big 10 schools as well as Oregon, Kentucky and Notre Dame. But his loyalties seem to lie at home in Michigan and Michigan State, and with the school who’s shown the most interest, Ohio State.

However, Georgia will remain in the hunt for every top running back on its radar. Sending 34 running backs and counting to the NFL will have that effect. Georgia wasn’t on the radar for Kendall Milton at this point a year ago, and we see how that turned out, but Edwards is probably more of an uphill battle.

Only two running backs in the nation really stands out right now. Edwards is only one of two running backs ranked in the 247Sports Composite top 50. The other is five-star Camar Wheaton, who Georgia is yet to offer. It’s unclear how aggressively Georgia will target a running back for 2021. But with the possibility of Zamir White and/or James Cook leaving for the draft, the Bulldogs will likely try to sign at least one running back.