Miami Hurricanes Running Back Gus Edwards Announces Intent to Transfer

In what has been speculated since the end of the season, Miami Hurricanes backup running back Gus Edwards has announced his intent to transfer. Edwards had moved up to second on the depth chart by the end of the season.

Edwards would have been Mark Walton’s primary backup this up coming season. His departure will create more playing time for Sophomore to be Travis Homer who was a special teams standout as a freshman in 2016.

Edwards rushed for 977 yards 186 carries with 12 touchdowns in his three seasons playing at Miami. He sat out the 2015 season with a foot injury and earned a redshirt season. Edwards had 290 yards on 59 carries with one touchdown in 2016. Those were all career lows.

Behind Homer will be Senior Trayone Gray who redshirted in 2016 with a tear of his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the Miami incoming freshman. Three star recruit Robert Burns has already enrolled at Miami and four star Anthony McFarland is expected to decide between Miami and Maryland. Miami still expects to add two more running backs to the class of 2017.

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Homer only had seven carries for 44 yards this past season. Gray does not offer much more experience. He had 29 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns combined in 2014 and ’15.

Edwards is the second running back Miami has lost prematurely this offseason. Joe Yearby declared for the NFL draft. Edwards had passed Yearby on the depth chart during the second half of 2016.

Miami Head Coach Mark Richt released a statement regarding Edwards’ intentions.

“Gus indicated to me that he would like to explore the possibility of other opportunities to continue his football career and we have given him permission to do that,” Hurricanes coach Mark Richt said in the statement announcing Edwards’ transfer.

The indication seems to be that the Edwards wants to play closer to home. Rutgers appears to be one of the candidates and he choose Miami over Syracuse out of high school.

Edwards’s transfer will likely give Walton and Homer bigger work loads. Walton shared the running back responsibilities with Edwards and Yearby in 2016. He exceeded 20 carries only once. That occurred in a 20-13 home loss to North Carolina. He finished with 82 yards on 24 carries against the Tar Heels.