It’s a new era of college football. One full of transfer portal additions and subtractions, Name, Image, Likeness deals, and conference realignment. One of the newer facets, but one that certainly has been on the stage longer than the others is college football athletes transferring.
However, in this new era of football, with more lenient transfer restrictions, college football is often rocked by star athletes transferring from one power to another. That happened in the case of Quinshon Judkins’ transfer from Ole Miss to Ohio State.
Quinshon Judkins Transfer Details
Unlike trades in the NFL, transfers at the major college football level are typically one-sided. As is the case with Judkins transfer to Ohio State, which gave the Buckeyes arguably the best 1-2 punch in all of college football.
But what did the Rebels do in their effort to replace the production lost when Judkins decided to transfer? The full details are broken down here:
Ohio State received:
- Quinshon Judkins
Ole Miss replaced him with:
- Domonique Thomas, Georgia State
- Logan Diggs, LSU
- Henry Parrish, Miami (FL)
- Rashad Amos, Miami (OH)
Find all these transfers: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
Judkins announced his decision to transfer back on January 5 and publicly announced he had selected the Buckeyes just three days later. It didn’t take long for the Rebels to start filling their replacement plan.
Diggs announced his decision to transfer to Oxford on January 10 after he himself entering the portal on January 5, just like Judkins.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin wasn’t satisfied, it appeared, as he continually pursued multiple other running backs through the spring. Henry Parrish committed to Ole Miss on April 22 while Domonique Thomas and Rashad Amos committed on May 17 and May 19, respectively.
Production Values In Judkins Transfer Decision
While player skill is not up for discussion here, production value and the amount of expected contribution this fall can be heavily deliberated.
For Judkins, it’s simple: He joins TreVeyon Henderson in Columbus and pairs to make one of the most feared duos across any position this season.
Judkins ran for 1,100 or more yards in each of his two seasons with Ole Miss, totaling a whopping 31 touchdowns on the ground and 34 total touchdowns in just two seasons. His career totals through just two seasons are inspiring:
- 545 carries
- 2,725 yards
- 31 touchdowns
- 37 receptions
- 281 yards
- 3 touchdowns
So how does the cast of characters brought in to replace Judkins stack up against that kind of production?
Parrish, a fifth-year senior, played two seasons at Miami after previously transferring from Ole Miss. He totaled 1,232 yards and 10 touchdowns in his two seasons at Miami.
Diggs, on his third school in as many years, comes over from LSU after a 119-carry, 653-yard season in the backfield with Heisman Trophy-winning QB Jayden Daniels. He previously played two seasons at Notre Dame, totaling 1,050 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Thomas, who transferred from Clemson to Georgia State in December, participated in spring ball with the Panthers, but exited the program to join the Rebels in May. In two seasons with Clemson, Thomas ran for 147 yards and a single touchdown, touching the ball just 26 times (25 carries, 1 reception).
Amos is clearly the most experienced and perhaps the most talented running back to join the fray for Kiffin and Co. He totaled 1,075 rushing yards last season for the RedHawks, putting forth a rare blend of speed and elusiveness with his ridiculous size. Previously, Amos spent 2020-22 with South Carolina.
Ole Miss’ running back room also boasts former SMU transfer Ulysses Bentley IV. In two seasons with the Rebels, Bentley has battled through adversity and rushed for 613 yards and eight touchdowns. Before transferring in, Bentley was a near-1000-yard rusher with the Mustangs, rushing for 913 yards on just 170 carries and 11 touchdowns back in 2020.
When you add it all up, the running back by committee approach is apparently what the Rebels tried to accomplish through the portal. With Amos, Diggs, Parrish, and Thomas, Ole Miss will certainly not be void talent in the backfield.
Collectively on the ground, that group has totaled:
- 1,367 carries
- 7,261 rushing yards
- 66 touchdowns
And here’s how that breaks down:
- Bentley: 384 carries, 2,172 yards, 23 TD
- Amos: 230 carries, 1,181 yards, 13 TD
- Thomas: 25 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD
- Diggs: 336 carries, 1,703 yards, 14 TD
- Parrish: 392 carries, 2,058 yards, 15 TD
KEEP READING: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
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