Representing the Rebs: Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins remains humble, focused on working hard and improving
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When Quinshon Judkins arrived on the Ole Miss campus last year, he was third on the running back depth chart and was not as heralded as others in the Rebels’ backfield.
But by the time the season ended, Judkins had burst onto not only the Ole Miss landscape, but the Southeastern Conference and national stages with a record-breaking freshman season.
He may have been a surprise last year, but heading into 2023, he is a known commodity.
“Well, Quinshon is really special,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said at the SEC Media Days Thursday.
“Think about what he did as a freshman to come in and have that workload. I think he led the SEC in carries and yards and touchdowns as a freshman. And like any freshman, you can get a lot better in year two.”
Lane Kiffin on Quinshon Judkins
Coincidentally, year two is what was on Judkins’ mind at the league’s gathering in Nashville. He is focusing on improving as a sophomore.
“(I’m) just continuing to work hard, remain humble, do what got me here. Keeping the main thing the main thing. I think as far as being the best you can, doing everything in your power to make your game better and perfect your craft. I think that’s the only thing that you can control.”
Quinshon Judkins
He displayed his humbleness during his media appearances in Nashville. It is rare for a program to send a sophomore to media days, but it did not take long for the journalists to understand why he was there. Not only was he humble, he was intelligent, articulate, witty and proved to be team-oriented.
“It means a lot (to be selected to represent the team),” Judkins said.
“The trust me and coach Kiffin have is very special. I’m excited to be here. It’s awesome. It has been an awesome experience. Just to represent my school, coaches, everybody in the university is critical.“
Quinshon Judkins
But most Ole Miss fans are still looking back to Judkins’ freshman year when he ran the ball 274 times for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass. It is the receiving aspect of his game he looks to improve. To help that goal, he has been working with the four quarterbacks on the Rebels’ roster.
“It’s exciting, very exciting (to be more involved in the passing game),” Judkins said. “I’m confident in every guy that he brings in because I know he knows what he’s doing. He’s bringing guys in. I’m excited to see those (quarterbacks) compete.”
Kiffin believes a familiar face returning to Oxford as running backs coach will not only help Judkins with his receiving skills but also in other areas.
“You know, we were able to get Kevin Smith, coach, back from Miami, that’s been with us before,” Kiffin said. “I think that that’s really beneficial for him to have him as someone that also was a great college player that’s gone through all this type and that comes with it. Because that’s his biggest challenge is his footwork and his pass protection, even though he’s really mature and a great kid.”
Judkins is a great kid. That is the reason Ole Miss selected him to represent the school at media days.
The Rebels open the season at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium September 2 against Mercer.
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
