Dylan Edwards hopes to emulate running backs Deuce Vaughn, Darren Sproles at K-State
Shortly after he announced his intentions to play at Kansas State, Dylan Edwards was asked how his football skills compared to those of Deuce Vaughn.
His grandparents tried to answer for him.
“He is faster and more elusive,” one said.
“He’s stronger, too,” added the other.
All joking aside, it is a fascinating question. Vaughn is a 5-foot-6 and 176-pound running back who has proven to be as fast as he is elusive during his first two seasons with the Wildcats. Edwards is a 5-9 and 165-pound running back who led Derby to the 6A state championship game last season and was named Kansas High School Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior.
They are both small for their position, but that hasn’t stopped them from putting up big results.
K-State has traditionally thrived with undersized running backs. Darren Sproles ran for so many touchdowns with the Wildcats that he is now in the College Football Hall of Fame. John Hubert ranks second all-time in K-State rushing yards. Vaughn was named a consensus All-American as a sophomore.
If you’re a running back who doesn’t quite stand 6 feet, odds are good the Wildcats can get the most out of you in their offense.
Vaughn showcased that last season when he amassed 1,860 all-purpose yards and scored 22 touchdowns as both a running back and a receiver.
That wasn’t lost on Edwards when it came time to choose between K-State, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
“You see what they do with Deuce Vaughn?” Edwards said during a commitment ceremony on Thursday at Derby High School. “He’s an all-purpose back and I’m one, too. I’m going to do punt returns and kickoff returns. I’m going to be an overall weapon just like I am here.”
K-State’s success with small running backs extends to when Edwards’ father played for the Wildcats.
Leon Edwards, who is roughly the same size as Dylan, used to make plays for Bill Snyder.
“Size doesn’t mean anything at Kansas State,” Leon Edwards said. “It’s all about heart and what you believe you can do. That’s the way he’s always been. He’s going to get up there and he’s going to get bigger and faster and stronger just like Deuce Vaughn did. It would great if they share the backfield. Those two complement each other very well on and off the field. It would be a great situation.”
Vaughn will have to decide whether he wants to remain in school for his senior year before Edwards arrives on campus.
Even if he departs early, it seems like K-State has found its running back of the future.
Derby football coach Brandon Clark said Edwards began licking his chops to be part of K-State’s offense as soon as Collin Klein took over as offensive coordinator. His interest level piqued with the Wildcats after watching them dominate LSU in the Texas Bowl.
“It’s a great fit for him,” Clark said. “He’s hungry. He’s a competitor. He hates to lose. He loves to work out. He loves to get better. He’s a very smart kid who can be one of the fastest guys on the field in every game he plays, even in college. He’s got all the tools and he’s got got a desire to become better. Like I said after his sophomore year, he was way better his junior year and I guarantee he’s going to be way better this year.”
K-State fans will hope that Edwards can follow in the footsteps of players like Sproles and Vaughn.
Edwards obviously is hoping for similar results in a K-State uniform, but he downplayed is connection to them slightly on Thursday. Does he have similar talents? Is he a mirror image of them? No. After all, he is three inches taller than both of them.
He is ready to blaze his own trail in Manhattan, even if similar players have done it before.
“I want to be my own player,” Edwards said, “and have my own legacy. I don’t want to be like anybody else. I want to be like Dylan. So that’s what I’m doing. And I’m going to carry that to K State.”
