Dan Lanning provides injury update on Oregon running back Noah Whittington
No. 10 Oregon notched one of the more impressive performances of the Dan Lanning era on Saturday with a 42-6 drubbing of No. 19 Colorado.
But it wasn’t all positive news for the Ducks during the win.
Junior running back Noah Whittington left the game midway through the third quarter with an apparent injury. After initially heading to the injury tent, he was carted back to the locker room.
When asked about Whittington’s status during his postgame press conference, Lanning indicated that Whittington’s injury might be a serious one.
“I don’t normally talk about injuries and I think there is still more to be decided here, but I think Noah is going to be down for a bit,” Lanning said. “I need everyone to say prayers for him. He’s healthy. He’s OK. But he’s probably going to be down for a little bit. I need everyone to have Noah in your prayers. That is a tough kid who we’re really proud of and fortunate to have. There are bright days ahead for Noah. I just don’t know that we will have him in here in the next few weeks.”
In four games this season, Whittington has run for 146 net yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. He is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which is third among Oregon’s running backs.
A former Western Kentucky standout who transferred to UO ahead of the 2022 season, Whittington made an immediate impact during his first season in Eugene. In 12 games, he ran for 617 yards and two touchdowns on 101 carries.
This season, he has shared carries with preseason All-American Bucky Irving and sophomore Jordan James.
Oregon safety Bryan Addison and receiver Tez Johnson were also dinged up on Saturday and left the game with apparent injuries. But both eventually returned to the field.
Throughout the offseason, Oregon running backs coach Carlos Locklyn praised Whittington for his leadership and his work in the weight room. Whittington added 10 pounds after playing at 192 pounds in 2022.
“Well, he’s already powerful for a little dude. I think he’s got more explosiveness. I don’t think guys like hitting him a whole lot, but it’s going to help him,” Locklyn said. “He dealt with some injuries last year that he played through. I think this year is going to help with that but he looks good. I think he has like seven or eight percent body fat. So like the lowest on the team. I expect for him and Bucky to have a bigger year this year and continue to feed off one another.”
If Whittington does ultimately miss time for the Ducks, true freshman Jayden Limar and Dante Dowdell — both of whom were 4-star signees in the ’23 class — could see an uptick in playing time.
