Ohio State saw one particular RB steal the spotlight this past season — Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins. He’s a rare player to appear in three different major bowl games in each of his three CFB seasons. This past season in Columbus, he had an exceptional season recording 1,060 yards and 14 TDs in 194 carries. Still, Pro Football Focus views him as a projected third or fourth-round pick. But after the Buckeyes’ strong ending in the ultimate National Championship game against Notre Dame, his luck could be turning.

NFL Rookie Watch just posted an intriguing report on Quinshon Judkins. In their Instagram post on January 22, it reported, “Many NFL scouts reportedly believe Quinshon Judkins could be the ‘steal’ of the NFL Draft and could end up off the board within the first 25 picks.” The report also added that several NFL scouts believe that the OSU RB has similarities with Detroit Lions’ 2023 first-round RB Jahmyr Gibbs and New Orleans Saints’ 2017 third-round RB Alvin Kamara.

Per the reports, Quinshon Judkins is a “clone” of Jahmyr Gibbs. Both these elite RBs have a similar frame suited for an NFL RB with Judkins standing at 6’0, 219 pounds and Gibbs at 5’9, 203 lbs. Both coming from SEC programs, they’re also known for their explosiveness and ability to make big plays. The 22-year-old Lions RB played at Georgia Tech before transferring to Alabama for his third and final CFB season and was selected as the 12th overall pick in 2023.

Quinshon Judkins is also in his third year in CFB after transferring to Ohio State in 2023. In his three seasons of college football, he compiled an impressive overall record of “3,785 rushing yards, 442 receiving yards, 50 total TD’s, and 1 National Championship.” What a profitable stint he had in college! The similarity also extended to Alvin Kamara who boasts similar balance and agility in addition to their dual-threat abilities. But can Judkins mirror this success in the pro league?

Quinshon Judkins’ top NFL projections

As of now, Quinshon Judkins hasn’t officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. The junior RB still has one year of college eligibility but his stellar performance in the CFP games averaging 5 yards per carry proved that he’s NFL-worthy at 21 years old. But it’s his record in their 34-23 win over Marcus Freeman‘s Irish that must have drastically improved his draft stocks. He compiled 100 rushing yards in just 11 carries and also added two rushing touchdowns and one receiving score. 

If Quinshon Judkins enters his name for the draft, he’s going to be a coveted pick by RB-deficit teams including the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are in need to fill many positions. But they could be hunting for a QB with their first pick so if that happens, they’ll miss out on Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty who is another projected top pick. This would give them a chance to draft this steal in the later rounds. The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys are two other teams who could benefit with a rusher like Judkins. 

While we play this game of speculation, we never know if Quinshon Judkins will embrace his final year of college eligibility. But if he does declare for the draft, do you think he’s a solid top-40 selection in April?