TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Nick Saban’s Alabama defense will have its hands full against Quinshon Judkins this Saturday.
The freshman running back has dominated for Ole Miss, tallying 1,036 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns through nine games. Judkins will get a chance to cement his rising star status when opposing the Crimson Tide.
Per Griffin McVeigh of On3 Sports, Saban lamented not recruiting the Alabama native out of Pike Road High School.
“We looked at him coming out last year,” Saban said in Wednesday’s teleconference. “In hindsight, it’d be great if he was on our team.”
Saban gave a glowing scouting report of Judkins, who ran for a season-high 206 yards in Week 9’s 31-28 victory over Texas A&M.
“He’s a good player,” Saban said. “He’s had an outstanding year. He’s had a lot of production. Guy is a really, really good competitor. Does a good job of executing the plays they ask him to run. He’s relentless in the way he carries the ball. He’s tough, he runs behind his pads. He can make you miss. He’s got pretty good speed.”
Out of high school, 247Sports rated Judkins as a three-star prospect and the 25th-best running back in the state. He’s shattered that appraisal by seizing the Rebels’ backfield in his first collegiate season.
Saban still has a star running back in Jahmyr Gibbs, but Judkins could have created a formidable pairing and a potential lead-back option in 2023.
No. 11 Ole Miss will probably need another big performance from Judkins to defeat No. 10 Alabama. Saturday’s game begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
