Tim May: Quinshon Judkins focused on improvement, splitting carries for Buckeyes
COLUMBUS — Quinshon Judkins extolled the virtues of being an Ohio State Buckeye after preseason practice on Wednesday.
A year ago this time, the running back was extolling the virtues of being an Ole Miss Rebel.
My, how time flies and situations change in this modern transfer portal-NIL era of college football. But at least two things have not changed for Judkins: He still sports two-tone hair, half blonde, half brunette, something he came up with in March of 2023 to have some fun and set himself apart and he’s on a different team, but now eight months into being a Buckeye, the mission and ultimate goal are the same.
So again, what’s changed?
“Nothing, man” Judkins said. “I think I have the same mentality.
“I’m a part of the brotherhood. I look forward to going out there and doing my best to help my team be able to succeed.”
There are a couple of major things that are very different at Ohio State, though.
One, he is now in a running backs room that features another prominent player in fourth-year home run hitter TreVeyon Henderson, along with a couple of promising freshmen in James Peoples and Sam William-Dixon. Unlike the 543 carries total at Ole Miss the past two seasons, Judkins is not expected to be required to carry the vast majority of the load.
And his position coach now is Carlos Locklyn, late of Oregon, hired to replace Tony Alford at Ohio State in mid-spring practices after Alford bolted for Michigan. Locklyn has fought robustly up every rung of the ladder so far, whose presence both physically [watching him do pushups during a practice the other day was a treat] and psychologically are imposing.
Locklyn’s expectation is for Judkins and Henderson especially to share the load and, really, with no questions asked.
“So I told them, they won. They get to feed off one another,” Locklyn said Wednesday. “But they work well together. They’re pushing one another.
“We’re all competing. … They’re competing to be the best backs in the country. I’m competing to be the best running back coach in the country. So it’s all healthy, but they both are being great leaders in the room. They’re doing a good job.”
Judkins started all 13 games for Ole Miss last year, rushing for 1,158 yards [his second straight 1,000-yard season] and a Southeastern Conference-leading 15 touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns, showing his versatility.
Thus he’s a veteran, but with things to refine as this preseason camp ensues.
“As I tell him all the time, to stay in speed when he runs,” Locklyn said. “He’s such a powerful runner. He know the things he’s got to work on, for example his his pad level.
“But like I said, he’s very gifted. The thing I’ve seen him get better at the most is he’s a sponge. He’s taking in everything with a great attitude. He has a growth mindset, and he can take my coaching because I’m barking at him every day.”
Just like he does at everyone else in the room, Locklyn said. In the case of Judkins, there is an added leverage, Locklyn said, pointing out they are both originally from the Montgomery, Alabama, area.
“We’re from the same city, yeah, he better come with it,” Locklyn said, smiling. “Or I’m gonna talk about him bad.”
There likely are many from the Southeastern Conference region keeping an eye on Judkins, seeing as how he skipped off to Ohio State and that other super-conference Big Ten. He caught a lot of flak on social media when he announced the move.
“It was a crazy, a lot of different things, a lot of different emotions, but it’s a business, so you understand it,” Judkins said over the winter. “People won’t always be happy for the decisions you make when it’s best for yourself. But I’m just excited to be here to do what I can to win it all. Let’s go.”
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