The Michigan Wolverines suffered a major blow to their 2025 recruiting class on Monday evening when four-star cornerback prospect Chris Ewald — the highest ranked player in Michigan’s class at No. 86 overall — announced he was decommitting from the program.

The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Florida native became the first player in Michigan’s 2025 class to commit when he made his initial commitment in December of 2022.

It was always going to be difficult to hold onto Ewald’s commitment because he is a kid from the South and was heavily recruited by schools like Georgia, Miami, and Florida State—programs he scheduled visits for this month instead of Michigan—but it’s unfortunate that it happened so quickly.

The only players to commit to the Wolverines in the 2025 cycle are four-star tight end Eli Owens, four-star defensive lineman Bobby Kanka, and four-star quarterback Carter Smith.

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Edwards has returned for his final year of study.

Being a kid from the South who was heavily recruited by programs like Georgia, Miami, and Florida State—programs he scheduled visits for this month instead of Michigan—it was always going to be tough to hold onto Ewald’s commitment, but it’s unfortunate that it happened so quickly.

Four-star quarterback Carter Smith, four-star defensive lineman Bobby Kanka, and tight end Eli Owens are the only players who have committed to the Wolverines in the 2025 cycle.

Edwards just finished an incredible National Championship game in which he scored two touchdowns in the first half and established the ground game for Michigan. The West Bloomfield native made history in the College Football Playoffs by becoming the first player to score two touchdowns on 40-yard passes in the National Championship game.

He had as effective a stat line as a running back could have when it counted most, with six rushes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

Following a largely underwhelming junior campaign in which he only managed three games with 50 yards or more of rushing and five touchdowns, Edwards turned in this performance. During the National Championship media day, he disclosed that he has been visiting a therapist to assist with his mental well-being amid the challenging season.

You couldn’t feel better for the young man after what he did in the National Championship after that clip went somewhat viral on Michigan Twitter; it seemed like a long-awaited performance, and he will always be a national champion.

Edwards has played in 38 games during his first three years of college, rushing 294 times for 1,662 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and 15 rushing touchdowns. He recorded 30 catches for 249 yards while catching passes out of the backfield, which was a respectable performance.

Edwards was one half of arguably the greatest running back tandem in Michigan history. Edwards is renowned for his quick bursts and big-play ability, but Blake Corum—who is headed to the NFL—scored a lot of touchdowns and was the go-to guy in situations involving short yardage. Who could forget his 2022 victory over Ohio State, in which he gained 216 yards and two touchdowns on just 22 carries? Certainly not us.

Now that Edwards is formally back, 2024 will see him as an RB1. Next season, he will be a member of Michigan’s running back core along with Micah Ka’apana, Jordan Marshall, Ben Hall, Cole Cabana, and Kalel Mullings.