Quinshon Judkins vs. Reggie Bush: Lane Kiffin Explains Similarity Between RBs

The Ole Miss Rebels head coach is high on his sophomore running back this season in Oxford.

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels have a gold mine at running back with rising-sophomore Quinshon Judkins.

Not only did the running back set the school single-season record for rushing yards (1,567) and rushing touchdowns (16) in 2022, he also has become a face of the program under Lane Kiffin's watch. Now with a year of college ball behind him, Judkins could take the next step this fall, which is scary for opposing defenses.

"You've got to remember, he was just a true freshman," Kiffin said in media availability on Tuesday. "That's really amazing what he was able to do. Now, he can take the next step. We run different plays with him now than we did. Now, you have a spring where they know stuff."

Kiffin tried to think of a comparison to a player he has coached in the backfield before who had a strong freshman year but grew the next season. His answer? Heisman-winner Reggie Bush.

"Reggie Bush was like that," Kiffin said. "He had a good freshman year, but now, you could do all this other stuff. The pairing of [Judkins] and Jaxson [Dart] with a year under their belt here is really exciting."

Dart is in the midst of a quarterback competition with Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard, but Kiffin revealed on Tuesday that his returning starter has thrown just one interception this spring.

Can this dynamic duo of Dart and Judkins take on the SEC in an even stronger role in 2023? Kiffin is hopeful that that's the case.

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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