James Peoples Drawing Comparisons To JK Dobbins?

Both of Ohio State’s starting running backs are currently working out at the 2025 NFL Combine, meaning that the Buckeyes are in need of a new starting tailback this season.

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both rushed for 1,000 yards last year with the Buckeyes, finishing their collegiate careers with a combined 7,546 yards rushing.

That’s quite a hole Ohio State will need to fill, and running backs coach Carlos Locklyn has already added West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson to help matters. The rest of the work, however, will be done by the home-grown Buckeyes. And one of the names that kept popping up at the NFL Combine this week is sophomore tailback James Peoples.

Asked to name somebody that isn’t being talked about yet but will be this season, safety Lathan Ransom had an answer.

“James Peoples is a dawg,” Ransom said. “That young running back coming up, he makes a lot of plays.”

What is it about him that caught Ransom’s eye?

“I mean, just a hard-working man,” he said. “A dude that runs hard every time he gets a chance. He’s a big running back and tough to get down in the open field, so I think he’s going to make a lot of plays.”

Any time a running back can get a defender as talented as Lathan Ransom to vouch for them, that has to mean something. The same can be said when it’s the mentors speaking out as well.

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were there every step of the way with Peoples, showing him the ropes, and picking him up when it was needed. They both have high expectations for the room they are leaving behind.

“Yeah, he’s going to be really good,” said Henderson. “He’s smart. The way that he goes about his business, he’s mature. He’s growing as a person and as a player. So, yeah, definitely, Ohio State, that running back room is in great hands.”

“James is a great young man,” Judkins added. “He learned a lot with me and Trey with our leadership. Taught him a lot of things. He got to see us and how we did and how we approach different things. So I think him just coming out in his second year, he’ll grow a lot. He is a very talented player. He’s fast, a bigger back. I would say just a talented guy. You’ll see for sure.”

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have both done it for multiple years, so they know what the position requires. They also know what a potential star looks like.

When Henderson assesses the skill set of James Peoples, he invokes quite a comparison.

“He has a build like JK Dobbins and I kind of see some similarities in their game as well,” Henderson said.

JK Dobbins is a Buckeye great who happens to be second all-time in school history behind Archie Griffin with 4,459 yards rushing. He was a three-year starter for Ohio State from 2017-2019. He set the OSU freshman record with 1,403 yards rushing in 2017, then set the Buckeyes’ all-time single-season rushing record with 2,003 yards as a junior in 2019.

Dobbins was a dynamic back for the Buckeyes, producing highlight reel plays on a regular basis. This is a very high compliment for James Peoples, especially when it comes from one of Ohio State’s best runners of all time as well.

“I know JK Dobbins, he was a great running back,” Henderson said. “I feel like he’s not talked about enough, but man, his career here, you watch his highlights, they’re great. I remember before I committed here, I remember watching JK Dobbins highlights, every one of his years here, like four or five times. He was such a great back. I feel like when I see JK Dobbins, when I see James Peoples, I see similarities to both of their games. I feel like they play the same.”

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