The Ohio State football team is hoping to build on the success it had in 2023-2024 with a revamped roster heading into next season.
The Buckeyes fell short of their ultimate goals in losing to Michigan and Missouri down the stretch, but did plenty of good things that may portend a trip to the College Football Playoff next season, when a 12-team field will take center stage.
Three way-too-early Will Howard Ohio State football predictions were shared after the quarterback's transfer from Kansas State. The replacement for Gene Smith as athletic director was revealed.
Last season, Judkins had 15 touchdowns for the Ole Miss Rebels as they knocked off Big Ten power Penn State in the Peach Bowl, capping off an 11-2 season.
With that in mind, here are three predictions on how Judkins will fit in with Howard and Coach Ryan Day's offense in 2024:
1. Judkins Will Form a 1-2 Punch With TreVeyon Henderson-
Judkins is one of the top running backs in the nation and has been ranked as such ever since he began showing up and showing out in an Ole Miss uniform.
He finished the season with over 1,100 yards on an average of 4.3 yards a pop in a competitive and challenging Southeastern Conference.
Meanwhile the Ohio State holdover TreVeyon Henderson had an incredible yards-per-carry average of 5.9 a pop with the Buckeyes last season.
The prediction here is that Henderson and Judkins will battle it out for the starting job this spring.
Both guys will stick around in hopes of leading Ohio State football to the national championship and providing the Buckeyes with a one-two punch similar to their arch rivals from the north, who were led by Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards.
Expect Judkins to be the workhorse and get more carries than Henderson. Judkins had 271 carries last season compared to 156 for Henderson.
By keeping Henderson fresh, he can be the “hammer in the bullpen” that will help Ohio State to put away teams with tough yards and big plays, instead of always having to shoulder the load.
2. Judkins Will Lead OSU to the Playoffs-
Ohio State has a relatively easy schedule considering they only play one new Big 10 entrant from the Pac-12, Oregon.
Ohio State football must travel to Autzen Stadium to face the Ducks. It won't be easy.
With Judkins, Henderson, and new addition Will Howard in the mix, the Buckeyes should be favored in most of their games this season if not all of them, including the final game against the Michigan Wolverines in Columbus.
Howard is a bruising 6-foot-5 dual threat quarterback who will give opposing defenses way more to think about than Kyle McCord did last season. The Buckeyes' running game was ranked 87th in the nation last season. Expect a huge improvement with the two newcomers in Coach Day's backfield.
3. Judkins Will Be a High Round Draft Pick After Next Season-
The Pike Road, Alabama native will have a solid to very good if not great season splitting carries with Howard, Henderson and others.
With Emeka Egbuka back for his senior season, Ohio State football has a great chance to compete for and perhaps win the Big Ten championship in 2024-2025.
Michigan football lost many key players from its national championship winning team to the NFL and the transfer portal in the last week.
While the Wolverines return plenty of talent, especially on defense, the Buckeyes have what it takes to make ‘The Game' highly competitive again and could be favored to win it in Columbus.
Judkins will be a big part of the Buckeyes' success before taking off for the National Football League in 2025.
With Michigan's recent title as the blueprint, Coach Day has secured a potentially unstoppable running attack for this upcoming season.
Judkins will garner second if not first round NFL consideration after next season, based on talent, work ethic and history among other factors.
Follow Us
Subscribe