Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson are among the premier running backs in the nation, and both will be showcasing their talents in Ohio State's lineup this year.
After transferring from Ole Miss this offseason, Judkins is not concerned about a decline in his performance or having to share the field with Henderson. He's concentrating on the aspects of his game that he can influence.
“My job is to come in and run football and just be the best teammate that I can be to my teammates and support my team overall,” Judkins said on Wednesday. “I don’t really focus on how many carries I get or you know, things like that I just come in and just do my job.”
This approach is not new to Judkins; it's the same attitude he adopted during his debut season as a true freshman at Ole Miss. But it could've been an issue as Judkins and Henderson project as early-round talents in the 2025 NFL Draft .
Emerging from high school, Judkins was considered a three-star recruit and was the 493rd-ranked player nationally in the 2022 class, according to industry rankings, which calculates its metrics from the four main recruiting media services. Despite the modest expectations, Judkins rapidly proved to be a game-changer in Oxford.
He was named the On3 National Offensive True Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the first-team All-SEC after accumulating 1,567 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2022. His freshman year's performance was second only to Herschel Walker’s 1980 season at Georgia, where he rushed for 1,616 yards in SEC freshman history.
In 2023, Judkins followed up with 1,158 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 4.3 yards per carry, along with 149 receiving yards and two touchdowns. On the other side, Henderson rushed for 926 yards and 11 touchdowns at Ohio State last season, sharing duties with Chip Trayanum, who has moved to Kentucky since then.
Now at Ohio State in the revamped Big Ten Conference, both running backs are expected to play crucial roles for a Buckeyes team aiming to improve on their 11-2 record from 2023. The team started off 11-0 last year. Judkins and Henderson will both be pivotal in 2024, having been named to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award.
Their season begins on August 31 at the Ohio Stadium against Akron, followed by their Big Ten opener against Michigan State on September 28. They also have significant games against Oregon, Nebraska, Penn State, and the eagerly anticipated matchup with Michigan.
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