The freshman’s two-touchdown explosion against the Razorbacks ignited the ground game, positioning the dynamic playmaker to seize a larger share of the Aggies' backfield rotation.
After back-to-back losses to Kentucky and LSU, the Aggies responded with a 34-7 victory over Arkansas on Saturday night. The offense finally found its footing, particularly on the ground, and one of the biggest positives to come from the win was the emergence of freshman running back KJ Edwards.
Edwards scored the first two touchdowns of his college career, finishing with 66 rushing yards on 11 carries. His first score came on a 20-yard run in the first quarter before he added a three-yard touchdown early in the second half.
The performance could be the beginning of something bigger for Edwards.
Coming into the Arkansas game, the freshman had already shown flashes of the ability that made him an intriguing piece of Texas A&M's running back room. However, his opportunities had been somewhat limited. Against LSU, for example, Edwards played just 17 snaps while Rueben Owens played 36.
That could be something worth changing moving forward.
Texas A&M doesn't necessarily need to abandon its approach of using multiple running backs, but Edwards has now given the coaching staff another reason to increase his workload. His 11 carries against Arkansas were tied with Marcel Reed for second on the team, behind Owens' 14, and he made the most of those opportunities.
Those 11 rushing attempts were also more than double his highest mark of the season at five that he had against both Missouri State and Kentucky.
More snaps would naturally give Edwards more opportunities to show whether Saturday was the start of a sustained breakout rather than simply a strong game against Arkansas.
The timing could not be better for the Aggies.
Texas A&M desperately needed to get its rushing attack back on track after managing just 68 rushing yards against LSU. Against Arkansas, the Aggies exploded for 231 yards on the ground while running the ball 49 times.
That commitment to the ground game creates an ideal situation for a young running back like Edwards.
The Aggies don't need him to immediately become their unquestioned lead back. But increasing his snap count and giving him a larger share of the workload could help Texas A&M keep its running backs fresh while also allowing Edwards to develop into a more important offensive weapon.
Saturday proved that Edwards can produce when his number is called.
Now, the next step is giving him more chances to prove it.
If Texas A&M is serious about getting its season back on track, Edwards could be one of the young players who helps make that happen.
