Ohio State Acquires a Dominant Transfer Running Back.
The 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes have had a busy start to the season. Ohio State is once again accepting transfers to strengthen the roster after having a fairly active program in the Transfer Portal the previous year. The addition of Will Howard has improved the quarterback situation. Then, the Buckeyes brought in Alabama’s Seth McLaughlin, a seasoned interior offensive lineman. Quinshon Judkins, a former Ole Miss standout, has now declared that he will join a loaded backfield.
Quinshon Judkins moves from Ole Miss Rebel Yell to Ohio State
Players as productive as Judkins rarely come through the portal. During his two seasons with Lane Kiffin’s Rebels, Judkins emerged as one of the SEC’s top running backs.
Judkins was a three-star athlete from Alabama when he was a recruit. To get the gifted back, Ole Miss had to hold off Notre Dame and a few other SEC opponents.
Though Judkins wasn’t a four- or five-star recruit, he quickly established himself as a starter. Judkins had a huge rookie season, rushing for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns. He completely destroyed Kayo Dottley’s 1949 single-season record of 1,312 yards gained by Ole Miss running backs. On the ground, he went over 100 yards eight times and over 200 twice. Judkins had just under 1,700 scrimmage yards at the end of the 2022 season after accounting for receiving yards.
Both in yards and touchdowns, he led the SEC.
Defenses focused on Judkins last year, and as a result, he was slightly less effective. Even so, he finished second in yards (1,158) and led the SEC in touchdowns (15). In 2023, he completed a 100-yard pass six times, including in his final two games. Judkins scored 106 yards against one of the top rush defenses in the country, Penn State, which allows 69.7 yards per game.
Judkins has amassed 2,725 career rushing yards, which is third most in Ole Miss history only behind two players with four years of eligibility. He ranks second with 31 touchdowns. Judkins averages a career-high five yards per carry.
Packed Backfield?
Three running backs for Ohio State had decisions to make in the days after the Cotton Bowl. Miyan Williams has made the decision to enter the NFL Draft. Then, following two years in Columbus, Chip Trayanum made the decision to return through the Transfer Portal. Trayanum went south to commit to Kentucky after attending Arizona State, Ohio State, and Kentucky. A depth player named Evan Pryor chose to transfer to Cincinnati just to be safe.
TreVeyon Henderson is the only person left. There have been rumors that he is considering going back to school very seriously. This Ohio State running back room is ready to be dangerous if he does. Ohio State has three running backs who could spearhead this offense when Quinson Judkins is added.
Throughout his three years at Ohio State, Henderson has struggled with injuries. He has demonstrated that he is one of the most dynamic running backs in the country when healthy. When incapacitated, less so. Although he has amassed 2,745 yards and 32 touchdowns through the air, he hasn’t quite completed a full, healthy season like he did in 2021 as a freshman.
Dallan Hayden is waiting in the wings behind him. In 2023, Hayden did not play a lot because Ryan Day was trying to keep his redshirt. With every injury in the room, he made intermittent appearances in 2022 and finished the season with 553 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman.
Judkins, Henderson, and Hayden delivering a one-two-three punch will greatly ease Howard’s quarterbacking duties. With their ability to threaten home runs, all three backs will provide the Ohio State offense with an extra explosive element that it sorely lacked in 2023.
Entering the North Portal
Quinshon Judkins is Ohio State’s third addition from a southern state. Howard came in first from Kansas State (yes, Kansas isn’t exactly south of South, but it is farther south than Ohio). Then McLaughlin came up from Alabama via a portal. Judkins now resides in Columbus with Davison Igbinosun, a classmate and former teammate who is a 2022 recruit.
There has been some degree of annoyance with Day’s Transfer Portal use up to this point. Those annoyances ought to subside after adding a third prospective starter with a track record of success.
