The issues with the running back market are catching the eye of football players who play the position at lower levels.
Recently, Mississippi running back Quinshon Judkins, who led the SEC in rushing as a freshman, calls the current state of the running back market in the NFL “a big concern.”
“That’s why I’ve improved my game as far as showing what I can do in the passing game,” Judkins said Thursday, via Heather Dinich of ESPN.com. “I have a lot of receptions, a lot of passing yards. I can not only be used in the backfield, but I can also be used in the slot as well.”
Last season, Judkins had 274 rushing attempts for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns. He caught only 15 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown. So that’s really not many receptions or receiving yards.
Instead of simply trying to do more in the passing game, he should just become a receiver. That’s something more running backs should do, before they get to the NFL. Assuming that they can play that position as effectively as they play running back, it makes sense to shift to the position where more money is available in the NFL.
It’s something that great players at every level should consider. At the lowest levels of the sport, coaches give the ball to the best athlete and tell him to go run circles around everyone. That pigeonholes players into a position that won’t serve them well, if/when they get to the NFL.
For Judkins, there’s time to develop as a receiver. And if Mississippi won’t let him do it, he should enter the transfer portal (sorry, Lane) and go to a program that will.
