He's fast, instinctual and powerful, 5-8, 208, clocked at 22.1 miles per hour in full pads, busting through the line of scrimmage. Noah Whittington is going places, usually the end zone, eventually the NFL.
A junior from Peach County High School in Fort Valley, Georgia, Noah was a two-star recruit at wide receiver according to 247Sports, a zero-star recruit coming out of the transfer portal by the standards of the same service, probably one of the most egregious misevaluations in the history of football.
Noah Whittington 34-yards to the 🏠 pic.twitter.com/hxI1rw1W9b
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 17, 2023
Nevertheless, Carlos Locklyn saw something special in him, first recruiting him to Western Kentucky where he played for the Hilltoppers in 2020 and 2021, coaxing him to transfer to the Ducks when Locklyn took over as running backs coach in 2022.
Together with Minnesota transfer Bucky Irving, Whittington forms the best one-two punch Oregon has featured since LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner back in the days of three consecutive PAC-12 titles.
What Locklyn loves about his tandem--a trio, really, because you can't discount productive sophomore Jordan James--is their brotherhood and shared work ethic. Asked about Whittington after an April practice, Locklyn said, "He takes on the same mindset I have; he comes to work and works hard. He wants to be great."
Noah Whittington’s eyes are ELITE pic.twitter.com/QGbqtwvTUE
— The Flock Pod (@TheFlockPod) October 10, 2022
Already this season the versatile number 6 has 12 carries for 101 yards, a gaudy average of 8.4 yards per carry that includes breakaway runs of 34 and 41 yards. He's also chipped in 9 receptions for 77 yards, busting loose for 31 yards against Texas Tech with a quick shovel pass to the left side.
Explosiveness, spot-on ball security and terrific vision make him a threat to take any play to the house. Whittington bolted for Oregon's longest run last year, slicing through the Arizona defense for 55 yards and a touchdown. As a sophomore at Western Kentucky he busted up the middle for an 86-yard TD in the Boca Raton Bowl, part of a 150-yard day.
Noah Whittington is the fastest 🦆 on the planet…
— College Football Network (@CFN365) October 29, 2022
pic.twitter.com/1MMuB4Hd3d
At spring practice head coach Dan Lanning said, "Noah's a worker. Very explosive, runs really hard, plays with a different type of effort."
Against a Colorado defense with issues stopping the run, Whittington, Irving and James could be a decisive difference.
Not to be outdone, #22 Noah Whittington had everyone off-balance here pic.twitter.com/JJWGJFc48q
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) June 14, 2023
No comments:
Post a Comment