Michigan Running Back Donovan Edwards, LB Josaiah Stewart’s return

Running back Donovan Edwards and edge rusher Josaiah Stewart announced on Monday that they plan to return for the 2024 season, giving national champion Michigan a boost on both sides of the ball.

Following a weekend that saw a number of well-known Michigan players declare for the NFL draft, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, defensive linemen Kris Jenkins and Jaylen Harrell, and defensive back Edwards, Stewart made their decisions public on social media.

Stewart, who joined Michigan from Coastal Carolina in December 2022, tied for third place in tackles for loss (8.5) and came in second in sacks (5.5) among team members. The coaches in the league named him an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. In 2021, Stewart had a standout rookie campaign for Coastal Carolina, racking up 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

Edwards, who has spent the majority of his career playing behind Corum, saw a decline in production this season until Michigan’s victory over Washington in the national championship game, when he scored touchdowns of 41 and 46 yards. The junior had 497 rushing yards and five touchdowns for the season when he finished the championship game with 104 yards on just six carries.

After Corum suffered a knee injury late in the 2022 season, he had his most productive stretch of play. After pulling off an upset victory at Ohio State, Edwards went on to rush for 216 yards and two touchdowns against Purdue in the Big Ten title game and 119 yards against TCU in a CFP semifinal defeat.

With 1,662 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns coming into the fall, Edwards has also finished his first three seasons with the Wolverines with 200 or more receiving yards.

Safety Rod Moore also declared that he would be back in 2024 for the season. Moore finished with two interceptions and 38 tackles, good for third-team All-Big Ten honors. Moore also had the game-winning interception against Ohio State.