Kansas State's Avery Johnson Has Five-Word Response To Dylan Edwards Question

For many at Kansas State, hearing running back Dylan Edwards' name evokes negative emotions after a rollercoaster 2025 season.

For quarterback Avery Johnson and running back Joe Jackson, it's more neutral feelings. In their Big 12 interviews, the two both said they "wish him the best" in his new home, the Kansas Jayhawks.

Edwards was anticipated to be one of the next program legends at his position, following in the footsteps of DJ Giddens and Deuce Vaughn. His 2024 Rate Bowl performance gave fans optimism as the No. 1 starter, rushing 18 times for 196 yards and two touchdowns, with two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Then, the season actually started. The injury bug wasted no time striking Edwards, as he suffered an injury in Week 0 against Iowa State and never recovered. He rushed just 34 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns all season, catching three passes for 17 yards. The offensive game plan was centered around the rushing attack,  which started with Edwards at the top. His absence hurt the run game, completely shifting everything and partially leading to one of the worst seasons in recent memory.

Edwards received backlash in Manhattan, KS, as many believed he gave up on the team or wasn't playing to his full potential. He left after playing just two full games, transferring to the program's most hated rival. Edwards even acknowledged the new potential villain role he has in the Sunflower Showdown rivalry.

"I knew it was gonna be different, and I like to be different. So why not? That's why I'm here," Edwards said in his opening Jayhawks press conference.

But as evidenced, many on the team don't feel this same level of animosity toward the veteran running back. His production with the Wildcats kept them afloat in 2024 and clearly benefited the program enough to give him the keys the next year.

Plus, it's a new potential program legend on the way in Jackson. He had his own breakout moment in 2025, logging a record-breaking 292 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Utah in one of the team's most resilient performances. This type of game was part of a late-season run from the second-year running back that gave the program reason to invest in him for the future.

And that future begins in just a few weeks.

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