The Ohio State Buckeyes just clinched the College Football Playoff national championship, but as they look ahead to next season, they will have to do so without one of their standout players. On Friday morning, star running back Quinshon Judkins announced to Pete Thamel of ESPN that he is leaving the team a year early to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. “My time here at Ohio State was like no other,” Judkins told ESPN in a phone interview. “I enjoyed my time here so much, and I’m ready to take the next step in my journey and prove I’m the best running back in the draft class.”
Joining Ohio State this season after transferring from the Ole Miss Rebels, Judkins was regarded as the top running back in the transfer portal and certainly lived up to that reputation. He led the Buckeyes with 1,060 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on 194 carries, while also adding 22 receptions for 161 yards and two additional scores. Judkins was particularly impressive in the national championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, as well as catching two passes for 21 yards and another touchdown, including a remarkable 70-yard rush early in the second half to help swing the momentum of the game.
Ohio State is also set to lose fellow star running back TreVeyon Henderson, who finished just behind Judkins with 1,016 rushing yards of his own. Both players are projected to be among the top running backs selected in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. With the departures of Judkins and Henderson, Ohio State will likely look to sophomore James Peoples and West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson Jr. to lead their running backs corps next season.
