Oregon 2024 Football Season: Running Back Noah Whittington’s Resurgence

Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington is set to be healthy and dominant in Big Ten Conference play.

Oregon running back Noah Whittington is hoisted into the air after a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Is the 2024 Oregon football season the year of Noah Whittington? The experienced running back is on schedule for a healthy senior year in which he could lead a committee of impressive backs of Jordan James and newcomer Jay Harris. 

In an early spring football practice, Oregon coach Dan Lanning divulged that Whittington was ‘way ahead of schedule” in his rehab.

The 5-foot-eight, 201-pound back has been working his way back to the field since September 23, 2023, when he suffered a season-ending injury in Oregon's 42-6 win over the Colorado Buffaloes. Before that injury, he was expected to play a big role in the Ducks’ rushing attack.

Oregon running back Noah Whittington is hoisted into the air after a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

EXPERIENCE

Whittington’s college career started at Western Kentucky before transferring to Oregon in 2022.  

Whittington was poised for a break-out 2023 season after posting stellar numbers in his first year at Oregon. In 2022, he was second on the team with a career-high 779 rushing yards on 139 carries with five rushing touchdowns, plus added 22 receptions for 169 passing yards and a touchdown. 

Given the severity of the injury, the Ducks wanted to bring Whittington back slowly. When asked about his recovery plan, coach Dan Lanning said, “We're being really conscientious of Noah. We don't have to throw him into the fire. We know what Noah can do. So, he's getting more and more added to his plate throughout practice.”

STRENGTHS 

Whittington brings a strong skillset that will add value to an already deep running back room. His strengths include great vision and instinct for the inside zone concepts. He has quick feet that allow him to change directions while using leverage to shed tacklers. Whittington is also an effective pass receiver with the ability to gain yards after the catch.

2024 OUTLOOK

While he did not participate in the spring game, he is penciled in as a starter along with Jordan James. The Ducks also raved about junior transfer Jay Harris (11 carries for 52 yards in the spring game) and Jayden Limar (nine carries for 30 yards and one touchdown) who showcased the explosive ability coaches have talked about all spring.

This crowded running back position and the need to distribute carries can create a problem, albeit a good one to have. After the Oregon football spring game, Lanning talked about his riches at running back.

“Jordan (James), we’ve all seen what Jordan can do. Been really impressed with that,”  Lanning said. “Those other guys in the room were running hard. I’m going to go back and look (at the film), but I think there’s some of those plays we could have been even more physical and opportunities to attack with even more pad level. But overall, I think we know what we have in that room. We have some guys we can compete with.”

While early comments suggested a “three-headed” running back approach for the Ducks in 2024, the return of Whittington and the development of several additions to the team might add another two or three players to the mix. Great news for Oregon, but not so much for opposing defenses in the Big Ten Conference.