Scouting Profile: Quinshon Judkins - RB - Ohio State
Sales Pitch: Productive back with the physical tools to be a lead NFL ball carrier. Showed a significant decline in burst and playmaking from 2023 to 2024 despite putting up another quality rushing season.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Quinshon Judkins is a former 3-Star recruit from the state of Alabama. He was one of the most consistent producers in college football over the past few years with three consecutive campaigns over 1,000 yards and 10 scores. Judkins spent his first two years at Ole Miss where he was a two-time 1st Team All-SEC player before transferring to Ohio State, where he shared 3rd Team All-Big 10 honors with his running mate TreVeyon Henderson.
Judkins is a well built back with plus strength and athleticism. He is a tough physical runner who doesn’t shy away from contact. He has shown the ability to carry a full workload with over 700 carries in the span of three seasons. Judkins is a decisive north-south runner. He is at his best on outside zone runs where he can put his foot in the ground and go. He is quickly able to get up to top speed as a runner attacking downhill. Judkins displays the contact balance and leg drive to break tackles in traffic. He is an excellent short yardage back given his size and power as well. Defenders frequently bounce off of Judkins in the hole due to his thick lower half. He is able to run through tacklers in space and shows a strong stiff-arm to keep his legs clean from lunging DBs. Judkins has shown to be a capable pass catcher out of the backfield. He has natural hands and is quick to turn upfield with the ball. While still a work in progress technique wise in pass protection he has the size and attitude to grow into a quality player in that aspect of the game.
Judkins evaluation is quite the enigma, as it is the tale of two seasons. His 2023 season at Ole Miss he was dynamic playmaker in addition to his ability to run with power. In 2024 his power remained but burst and creativity seemed to dry up. Judkins wasn’t able to pull away at the 2nd and 3rd level at the same clip in 2024. Judkins was never an elite burner but he seemed to lose all ability to beat LBs angles and take advantage of gaps in the defense. He also lacked creativity as a runner. His desire to get down hill lead to far too passed up cutback lanes. He also struggled to set up 2nd and 3rd level defenders to make them miss in space. For a player who looked like a budding star and future NFL workhorse the decline in playmaking ability with no on record injury was quite puzzling.
Judkins projects as a starting RB with the ability to play on all three downs. At the worst he is a high floor runner with good power who can handle 20+ carries a game. At his peak, in 2023, he projected as a first round talent and game changing back while the 2024 tape was closer to a mid Day-2 pick. NFL teams will have to sort through which back they are getting and his landing spot will tell us if the league sees him more as the quality starter he was in 2024 or the difference maker we saw in 2023.