The Grove Report

Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins Named Semifinalist for Freshman of the Year

Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins has been recognized as one of the top freshmen in college football after taking the nation by storm in his first season.

Ben King

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Ole Miss Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins was named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award by the Maxwell Football Club on Thursday after carrying his team's rushing attack through nine games.

The award has been granted annually to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018. The award honors former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Shaun Alexander who had a brief, but prolific career in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.

Judkins has looked unstoppable in his first season with Ole Miss recording a team-high 1,036 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, the most in program history for a freshman. The 19-year-old tailback has also tied the school record for the fastest player to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season, which was set way back in 1949 by Kayo Dottley. 

Judkins crossed the 1,000-yard mark last Saturday when he recorded a career-high 34 carries and 205 yards on the road against the Texas A&M Aggies. His 34 rushes were the most by a Rebel since former Ole Miss running back Deuce McAllister ran the ball 36 times versus the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 1999.

The Pike Road, Ala., native has been the bell cow back for an Ole Miss rushing attack that leads the Southeastern Conference and is ranked No. 3 nationally in rushing yards per game with 267.4. Judkins is also the only rusher in the SEC who has recorded at least 10 rushing touchdowns this fall and is second in the conference in rushing yards. 

To help make his claim for Freshman of the Year, Pro Football Focus announced on Thursday that Judkins is the highest-graded true freshman on offense in the Power 5 going into Week 10 with an 87.7 grade. 

Judkins' 61 forced missed tackles are the second-most in the country and his 611 yards after contact ranks fourth among Power 5 backs. 

Finalists for the 2022 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 6, and the winner will be revealed on Thursday, Dec. 29. 

You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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Ben King
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