Ohio State Lands Big Transfer After College Football Playoff Win Saturday
12/23/2024 04:04 PM
Ohio State landed another notable running back through the transfer portal.
Last year, Quinshon Judkins left Ole Miss for Ohio State after scoring 17 touchdowns in two straight seasons. He formed a dominant duo alongside the returning TreVeyon Henderson in 2024, but both backs can enter next year's NFL Draft.
The Buckeyes secured a potential 2025 replacement on Monday. CJ Donaldson Jr. confirmed his commitment to Ryan Day's program on social media.
Donaldson has spent the last three seasons at Virginia. The 6-foot-2, 238-pounder averaged 4.9 yards per carry with 30 rushing touchdowns.
Sharing backfield reps with sophomore Jahiem White, Donaldson turned 163 carries into 734 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He added a career-high 104 receiving yards and his only collegiate receiving score.
West Virginia fell to 6-7 after concluding the season with a 42-37 loss to Memphis in the Frisco Bowl. Donaldson closed the chapter on his Mountaineers career with 94 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, but he lost his first fumble since Oct. 22, 2022.
Even if Henderson and Judkins leave, Donaldson could face plenty of competition for touches in Columbus.
Four-star recruit James Peoples will vie for a more significant role after garnering 197 rushing yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman. Anthony Rogers, the No. 8 running back from the class of 2025, signed with Ohio State earlier this month after de-committing from Alabama.
Bo Jackson and Isaiah West will also join the Buckeyes next season.
There's a lot of production to replicate. Henderson and Judkins each scored two rushing touchdowns in Saturday's 42-17 win over Tennessee in the College Football Playoff's opening round.
Donaldson can watch his future team continue to compete for a national championship in January. Ohio State will begin 2025 by facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
Related: Ohio State Has Revealed Its Uniform For The Rose Bowl vs. Oregon
