In the era of the Transfer Portal, no player is safe from deciding greener pastures exist. Small or big schools, role players or stars, all seem to be heading for the portal. On Thursday, Ole Miss tar running Quinshon Judkins shook things up by announcing he was entering the transfer portal.
Ole Miss star running back Quinshon Judkins has informed the Rebels staff that he plans to enter the transfer portal, sources tell @247sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 4, 2024
This year, he became the first SEC player since Herschel Walker with 15+ touchdowns in each of his first two college seasons.… pic.twitter.com/3KafT2sPyj
Judkins, in two years as the Ole Miss starting running back, accumulated 3,006 total yards of offense while finding the endzone 34 times. That type of production anywhere is impressive, but doing so in the SEC takes it to another level. Judkins was seen as the RB1 for 2025 by most people in the devy and draft community. Within the Dynasty Nerds Devy rankings, he was ranked tenth overall player and the third-ranked running back.
Those rankings are subject to change depending on where he lands. Judkins will be hearing from just about every school while in the portal. Here are five schools that would make for a favorable landing spot for Quinshon Judkins.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Judkins was a 3-star recruit, according to 247Sports. On his recruiting profile, they listed everyone he received an offer from and who recruited him. Judkins received an offer from Notre Dame and was recruited to them by Tommy Rees, who now happens to be the Alabama offensive coordinator.
Nick Saban and Rees found success this year once they established the run again. While the status of running back Jase McClellan is undecided, they aren’t afraid of dual running backs. Whether McClellan stays or goes, Judkins would have a Jahmyr Gibbs-type impact on the Crimson Tide offense. This landing spot should not only be the betting favorite but also the preferred spot.
Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles were coming off an undefeated regular season in 2023 and did so with a transfer quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end leading the charge for them. They already secured DJ Uiagalelei from the transfer portal; could Judkins be next?
Trey Benson gained 2,267 total yards of offense and scored 24 touchdowns in two years with the Seminoles. Some thought he looked good enough to be the RB1 heading into the 2023 season, but it turned into a season where no one impressed with the class. If Benson could look like the best running back prospect in the country, imagine what Quinshon Judkins could do.
Georgia Bulldogs
If you trust a school to develop a high school or college player into a formidable pro prospect, you go to Georgia. Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Zamir White, and D’Andre Swift are just a few, but it establishes things. The Bulldogs lost their star running backs to the NFL draft, so they are looking for someone to trust with a large workload.
Judkins could be the player who is doing the right thing at the right time to get to Georgia. He stays in the SEC but switches divisions to make things less sour for Ole Miss. He would gain some great positional development while playing on a big stage with a lot of eyes on him. It is a win-win scenario for both parties involved.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes are reeling after the mass exodus of talent they have had. They lost their starting quarterback to the transfer portal and are expected to lose their top receivers and tight end. Will they lose their star running back, TreVeyon Henderson, though?
If they lose Henderson to the NFL, you should expect a full-court press on Judkins. They addressed the quarterback position by getting Will Howard from Kansas State. His style of play relies on a strong running back to balance things out. Judkins with Howard would be enough of a dynamic duo to keep the Buckeyes alive for a Big Ten title with an old-school approach.
Ole Miss Rebels
Relationships can be fixed, and love is found again, and it could happen here with Judkins. It is rare for a player to enter the transfer portal and come back, but it happens. The Ole Miss offense is going to be special in 2024. It has been special for two years now, and Judkins played a part in that.
His quarterback, Jaxson Dart, took to social media to seemingly blast his former teammate. The relationships look damaged and could need some mending, but Lane Kiffin has handled all of this before. Juggling personalities, including his own, is not new to him. If he wants Judkins back, then maybe he works his magic. It is a long shot, but it is a result that I don’t think should be dismissed so easily based on the fruitful experiences they have had over the past two years.
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