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It appears Kansas State will finally have its star running back available again. Dylan Edwards, who has been sidelined since the first quarter of the Wildcats' season-opening loss to Iowa State, has been cleared to play against Arizona, according to ESPN.

Edwards injured his ankle on a muffed punt -- his first touch of the 2025 season -- in the 24-21 defeat in Dublin, Ireland, and he's missed Kansas State's last two games. His absence has coincided with a shaky start for the Wildcats, who were billed as a Big 12 title contender and College Football Playoff hopeful in the preseason but have stumbled to a 1-2 record.

After narrowly escaping FCS North Dakota 38-35 in Week 1, Kansas State was upset by Army 24-21 in Week 2 despite being a double-digit favorite. The Wildcats now face Big 12 opponent Arizona in a matchup technically classified as a nonconference game due to scheduling agreements made before the recent wave of conference realignment.

The potential for Edwards' return would offer a boost to a struggling offense. The Derby, Kansas, native tallied 679 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns last season, including a 71-yard punt return for a score in the Wildcats' previous meeting with Arizona. He capped his debut season with a breakout performance in the Rate Bowl, rushing for a 196 yards -- a program record in the postseason -- and two touchdowns while adding two receptions for 27 yards and another score in a 44-41 win against Rutgers.

In his absence, Kansas State's offense has posted a success rate of 45.3%, which ranks No. 83 in the FBS, according to TruMedia. Sophomore Joe Jackson has carried the load with Edwards sidelined, leading the Wildcats with 136 yards on 30 carries (4.5 per attempt) through three games, but the ground game has lacked the explosiveness that Edwards usually provides. 

A season ago, the Wildcats led the FBS in explosive rush rate (16.3%) behind the dual-threat ability of quarterback Avery Johnson and the bruising style of running back DJ Giddens, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. So far in 2025, Kansas State's explosive rush rate has dipped to 11.0%, ranking just 52nd nationally, per TruMedia.

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman was cautious earlier in the week when asked about Edwards' availability, saying he was "probably 50-50" on whether or not the running back would return to action in Week 3.

"He was out there at the walkthrough," Klieman said. "He's not practicing [on Monday]. That's a concern for him moving forward. ... It's not out, but he's probably in that questionable-to-doubtful range."

However, Edwards' expected return comes at a pivotal point for Kansas State, which is looking to steady its season before diving into Big 12 play. Kickoff against Arizona is set for 8 p.m. ET Friday in Tucson.