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LeBron James' Energized Reaction to Quinshon Judkins' Touchdown Draws Attention

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jan 20, 2025 9:33 PM ET

LeBron James, an avid Ohio State Buckeyes supporter due to his Akron, Ohio roots and his years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, made sure his presence was felt in Atlanta on Monday night during the national championship showdown between Ohio State and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

After a long opening drive by Notre Dame that resulted in a 7-0 lead, Ohio State quickly responded, led by quarterback Will Howard, who got all of his weapons involved in the first half.

Running back Quinshon Judkins made his mark, scoring two first-half touchdowns—one rushing and one receiving—that certainly caught the attention of James. With Ohio State heading into halftime with a 21-7 lead, the excitement was palpable.

Check out his reaction:

Lebron James hype after Judkins scores his 2nd TD

Just a kid from Akron ❤️
pic.twitter.com/AaKv0Jjgh5
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 21, 2025

LeBron James was one of the top football players in the state of Ohio coming out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. While basketball was clearly his path, he recently revealed on the "New Heights" podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce that former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel had recruited him to play for the Buckeyes before he entered the NBA draft straight out of high school.

“[Jim] Tressel knocked on the door plenty of times,” James said. “They wanted me to come up there and be a two-sport athlete.” James went on to explain that Ohio State’s interest wasn’t casual—they wanted him to play on both sides of the field."

He added, “They knocked on the door and it’s like, ‘If you come down to Ohio State, we want you to play both sides,’” he continued. “I would’ve definitely thought about that.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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