Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Sunday won’t be the first time Cam Heyward sees Quinshon Judkins.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line mainstay watched last season as the Ohio State Buckeyes’ running back helped carry Ryan Day’s team to a national title.
“I was usually rooting for (him),” Heyward, also an Ohio State alum, said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
He won’t be cheering Judkins on come Sunday, when he lines up in the Cleveland Browns’ backfield and gets introduced to the Turnpike Rivalry. Judkins, a second-round pick in this spring’s NFL Draft, didn’t take part in his team’s training camp, but has started each of its last four games. He’s averaging 86.8 yards per game on the ground.
“(He’s) always falling forward,” Heyward said. “Good contact balance. Even when they got a couple holdings, he was finishing plays, and that’s really what sticks out in Nick Chubb comparisons. … He hits the hole hard and it’s usually one or two guys having to bring him down.
“We’ve gotta make sure a lot of guys get to the ball and the scrum is definitely falling backwards.”
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has noticed a similar toughness in Judkins, who’s averaging nearly five yards per tote.
“He is a powerful guy. He’ll run right through tackles and arm tackles,” Austin said. “He is not afraid to challenge guys. If you’re coming at him, you better put your big boy pads on because — if not — he’s gonna run right through you. And if you’re messing around, he’ll run right around you. … The combination of his power, his ability to get out there and I think he really does have good vision. You watch him, he finds these holes and he gets through them.”
#Steelers mainstay Cam Heyward on how Browns rookie Quinshon Judkins resembles Nick Chubb:#HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/E7XPyQDowE
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) October 9, 2025
The tailback’s ability was on display on college football’s brightest stage in January. He went for 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
“He finishes off his runs with violence,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. “He’s underrated in terms of his ability to bounce it to the perimeter and pop long ones. … He’s the type of guy that can wear a defensive unit down.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: ‘Big Boy Pads’: Steelers Ready for Physical Test vs. Browns RB
