Who Is Quinshon Judkins?
Quinshon Judkins is a 5 foot 11, 210-pound running back who was terrific at Ole Miss this past year, according to 247 Sports. On 271 carries, he had 1158 yards and 15 touchdowns, with an astonishing 4.3 yards per carry average, according to ESPN. Now entering the Transfer Portal, Judkins is looking for a new Power 5 school to play for. Some teams that make sense for one of the best backs in the nation are Baylor, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, and Illinois. Schools like Oregon, Georgia, Alabama, FSU, and Ohio State have their running back positions set for next year. Although many sports analysts think he could start on any of those teams, why would a guy like this want to share carries when he can be the full-time back for almost any other team at the Power 5 level? So, can Illinois land Quinshon Judkins?
Can Illinois Land Him?
At the moment, what school Quinshon will attend is still being determined strictly. A guy of this caliber jumping into the portal this late makes almost no sense, as many top schools have already found their starting running back for next season. Illinois has some guys in the pipeline who have not seen the field or shown up last season. With Reggie Love III and Josh McCray no longer on the team next year, Judkins could be dominant on that offense. This would also make for a fascinating rushing attack. As Luke Altmyer is already a good runner with the football at QB, and if he can fix his fumbling issue and continue to grow as a passer, this offense could be in the top 5 in the BIG 10. But why should Illinois pull the trigger on a guy like this now? The BIG 10 will be much better next year, with teams like USC, Washington, Oregon, and UCLA all joining the conference. The Fighting Illini needs to show that they are not just a basketball school and show the meeting that they can be dangerous in the Transfer Portal and not just a team that develops players and is never willing to go all in to be a good team. With Indiana and Michigan State starting to figure things out and Nebraska on the right path, Illinois, North Western, and Minnesota will fall to the bottom of the conference. Things have to change to propel Illinois into the mid to upper-echelon tier of the meeting. Especially with the chance that Clemson and FSU will join the conference in the coming years. Does Illinois want to be the laughingstock of the conference when it comes to football in the future?
The Wrap Up
Look, Illinois fans, the BIG 10 is getting strict regarding football. If things do not begin to change with the way the team attacks the Transfer Portal, we’re looking at a team that may have one winning season every five years or so. That assumes that your best players only transfer out yearly, some years, too. Teams like Colorado are about to win 9 to 11 games annually because they use the transfer portal to fill their needs. A team must keep two guys and add four more through the portal, especially with all the guys aging out of the program. So comment on the chances of Illinois getting Quinshon Judkins and follow for more articles like this.
