The Ohio State Buckeyes just won the College Football Playoff national championship, but as they prepare for next season, it sounds like they will have to move forward without one of their top players.
On Friday morning, Ohio State Buckeyes star running back Quinshon Judkins told Pete Thamel of ESPN that he will be leaving the team a year early and entering the 2025 NFL Draft.
“My time here at Ohio State was like no other,” Judkins told ESPN in a phone interview. “It was like no other place I’ve ever been. I enjoyed my time here so much. I’m ready to take the next step in my journey and prove I’m best running back in the draft class.”
Judkins joined Ohio State this season after transferring from the Ole Miss Rebels. He was widely considered the top running back in the transfer portal and he lived up to that billing this season.
This season, Judkins led the Buckeyes with 1,060 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on 194 carries, adding 22 catches for 161 yards and two more scores.
Judkins was particularly dominant in Ohio State’s national championship win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this week, rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while catching two passes for 21 yards and another touchdown. That included a 70-yard rush early in the second half to help break the game open.
In addition to Judkins, Ohio State is also losing fellow star running back TreVeyon Henderson, who finished the season just behind Judkins with 1,016 rushing yards of his own. Both backs are projected to be among the top running backs selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With both Judkins and Henderson gone, Ohio State will likely turn to sophomore James Peoples and West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson Jr. to lead its running backs room next season.
