Even though the College Football Playoff is underway and bowl season is just about wrapped up, the transfer portal continues to pop and make headlines. Over 3,000 players have entered the portal this offseason and plenty of those players are big-name and notable players. Another marquee player, Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, just announced his intention to enter the college football transfer portal, and these are his best potential destinations.
Judkins has been nothing short of sensational since arriving on campus at Oxford. He immediately broke out as a freshman, where he ran for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also hauled in 15 balls for 132 yards and a touchdown. In the process, Judkins relegated former five-star prospect Zach Evans, who transferred to Ole Miss from TCU, to a backup. That is super impressive for anybody, let alone someone who was a true freshman.
Judkins' sophomore season wasn't as prolific. He did catch 22 passes, up from 15 a year ago, but his efficiency dipped fairly drastically. Judkins went from averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 8.8 yards per reception in 2022 to just 4.5 and 6.8 in 2023. But that doesn't mean that Judkins isn't still a dynamic player. Every team would be glad to have him. Two programs, in particular, however, stand out as great potential landing spots for Judkins.
Alabama Crimson Tide
If there's a program that should be deemed the favorite to land Quinshon Judkins, Alabama would likely be that team for a few reasons.
For one, it's home for Judkins. The runner is from Pike Road, Alabama, which is roughly two hours away from Tuscaloosa, where Alabama plays its games. While a two-hour drive might not exactly qualify as being in Judkins' backyard, that drive from his hometown is half as long as the drive from Pike Road to Oxford, where Judkins currently plays. Being closer to home appeals to everyone, so it would be hard to fault Judkins if he weights that heavily.
But the other reason Alabama makes sense for Judkins is that they could need a running back soon. Jase McClellan was Alabama's leading rusher in 2023 with 890 yards, but he is a senior and could elect to declare for the NFL Draft if he wants to. The same applies to Roydell Williams. Jam Miller and Justice Haynes are two exciting running backs already in Alabama's pipeline; they currently average 5.7 and 6.7 yards per carry, respectively, in their careers. But they're also a sophomore and freshman and could afford to wait another year before splitting the Alabama backfield between the two of them.
Judkins is a better player than anybody listed. Not only could Alabama offer him a starting spot, but they could nearly guarantee him a shot at a national championship, especially with the expanded playoff field. Add the fact that it is close to home and the Tide seems like a perfect fit for Judkins and vice versa.
Michigan Wolverines
From Alabama to the team that just beat Alabama in the College Football Playoff. Michigan is not close to home for Quinshon Judkins, but they can offer just about everything else that Alabama can outside of that: winning and playing time. Michigan has made the College Football Playoff in each of the last three seasons. They also could have an opening at running back next season.
Blake Corum eschewed the NFL for another shot at a national championship in his senior season. He is almost surely going to declare for the NFL Draft after this season. Donovan Edwards could declare for the NFL Draft as well, but a poor 2023 season might have him come back. But 237 carries and 16 receptions are likely to be up for grabs in Ann Arbor next season. There are worse ways to disperse those than letting Quinshon Judkins take those touches.
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