Kansas State was down one of its star players mere minutes into its 24-21 loss to Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, when Dylan Edwards left for the locker room with an ankle injury after muffing the first punt of the game.
Edwards tried to field an Iowa State punt on the 8-yard line in the driving rain and had the ball bounce off his chest and hit the turf. He got hit almost immediately and on that hit he injured his ankle, eventually going back to the locker room with the trainers.
Edwards returned to the sideline, but not the field. He had a towel over his head and did not have his helmet as he watched from the bench. Kansas State coach Chris Klieman confirmed in his walk-off interview at halftime that Edwards was out for at least the rest of the game.
Edwards, who transferred to Kansas State prior to the 2024 season from Colorado, projected to be one of the nation’s most dynamic running backs this season taking over as the lead back in Manhattan after the departure of DJ Giddens. In 2024, he rushed for 546 yards and five touchdowns on 74 carries, adding 133 yards and two touchdowns on 19 receptions, and dominated in the Wildcats’ bowl game win to create serious optimism coming into the 2025 season.
Instead, the Wildcats had to make a quick adjustment to their running back rotation after losing their starter before even taking a snap on offense. With Edwards out, Kansas State turned to redshirt sophomore Joe Jackson as their lead back, with a committee approach behind him. Quarterback Avery Johnson augmented their rushing attack on a rainy afternoon in Ireland, as the junior QB accounted for the Wildcats’ lone touchdown of the first half.
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