By now we know the story. Ryan Day wanted to add depth to the running back room after previous seasons of injuries had left Ohio State thin at the position. He knew in this new playoff format, having plenty of bodies in the stable was going to be key if the Buckeyes were to make a run deep into the playoffs.
When Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins entered the transfer portal after last season, Day knew this could be a key piece to the OSU rushing attack. Of course, he already had a featured back and didn’t want to mess with locker room chemistry, so he asked TreVeyon Henderson how he would feel about adding the former First Team All-SEC back to the roster. Henderson gave his blessing and the rest is history.
Many wondered if the two-back system would work or would egos get in the way. It’s safe to say, it worked exactly how Day envisioned it. The two backs complimented each other in a great way. It may seem like on the outside that Henderson was the lightning to Judkins’ Thunder, but the reality is both players could catch passes out of the backfield, run hard, and block even harder.
Just look at how even the stats were at the conclusion of the season as both went over 1,000 yards on the season within 50 yards of each other. One had 16 total touchdowns while the other had 11. To say the system worked would be an understatement.
The duo became just the third Ohio State teammates to rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season joining Archie Griffin (1,577) and Pete Johnson (1,059) in 1975 and most recently Carlos Hyde (1,521) and Braxton Miller (1,068) in 2013.
This year’s Ohio State RB duo may go down as the best college RB duo of ALL-TIME.
Quinshon Judkins this season:
• 194 carries
• 1,060 rushing yards
• 161 receiving yards
• 16 total TD’s
• 1 National ChampionshipTreVeyon Henderson this season:
• 144 carries
• 1,016… pic.twitter.com/ccabSGUHM6— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) January 21, 2025
Henderson has exhausted his eligibility and will be taking his talents to the NFL. It remains to be seen if Judkins will return to Columbus for one last run, but most believe he’ll head to the League as well… but you never know.
One thing is for sure, these two will be linked in Ohio State history forever.
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