How Jordan Whittington could break the rules for opposing defenses

During the 2022 Alamo Bowl, the Texas offense used a formation rarely if ever used during the regular season. Running back Keilan Robinson was the split end on the short side of the field. Jordan Whittington, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Brenen Thompson were in a bunch formation just off to Christian Jones‘ right. Wide receiver Casey Cain lined up in the backfield next to Quinn Ewers, creating a confusing look for the defense.

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It’s easy to see hesitancy from Husky middle linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala ahead of the snap. He’s probably thinking something along the lines of, “is that a wide receiver I’m supposed to cover?” Tuputala is accustomed to running backs in the backfield, not wideouts.

Steve Sarkisian‘s play design creates a lot of traffic for Tuputala to have to navigate to get near Cain in the flat. Cain makes a great snag away from his body and gets upfield quickly for the fourth down conversion.

Sarkisian likes muddying defender’s assignments, but he’s not the only Texas coach who has utilized a formation that puts players in positions defensive coordinators likely haven’t prepared to see.

Taking the handoff in the backfield from Sam Ehlinger in the 2019 clip above is wide receiver Devin Duvernay. It’s clear the Mountaineer defense isn’t sure what they’re looking at and WVU wasn’t prepared for it at the player or coach level.

How so?

There are nine Longhorns in the box and only seven WVU players if a charitable count includes the blitzing cornerback. The left side of the line gets a strong push upfield, and Duvernay avoids a third-level defender before waltzing into the end zone.

Breaking typical assignment rules can help the Longhorns whether the defense has numbers in the right place or not. Coaches like to tell players “don’t think, just react.” But reacting to something not previously studied? That’s difficult, which is why those plays were so effective for the Texas offense.

Those gains were out of 11 personnel sets, with one tight end and one running back on the field in each clip. That’s likely to be the personnel Sarkisian utilizes most this season considering the receiver talent available to him and the lack of a second tight end who would add more value than a third wideout.

One of those three receivers likely to be on the field in 2023? Whittington, who has experience playing in the backfield.

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That’s Whittington wearing No. 21 and making the most of a clearout play designed to let him operate in space. It’s also from 11 personnel, but Whittington is the running back and not the wide receiver.

Whittington was put at running back due to recruiting misses combined with Derrian Brown‘s medical emergency in the 2019 class and a rash of injuries at the position suffered during that season’s preseason camp. The running back emergency would continue after this play, as Whittington wouldn’t play another game that season.

That said, his experience in the backfield offers Sarkisian an effective wrinkle to throw at defenses. Utilizing Whittington by the quarterback from time to time wouldn’t be something the Longhorns major in, but it’s an arrow that would be right at home in Sarkisian’s gameday quiver.

Whittington offers physical blocking, tough running, good hands, and impressive elusiveness for his size. Those attributes are useful in the open field but they could be beneficial to the Texas offense from the backfield, especially against confused opponents. It doesn’t have to be via carries, either. Pass plays like screens could be designed for Whittington out of the backfield, or other options that could potentially match him up with a linebacker.

The Longhorns majoring in 11 personnel doesn’t mean they have to offer nothing but conventional looks. They can throw a variety of sets at opponents, including putting other receivers in the backfield, running backs like Robinson or Jonathon Brooks out wide, and other possible combinations. The Wildcat could still be a thing, too.

Because of the versatility Whittington offers, and his experience lining up at a number of different positions, he presents a unique option for Sark to utilize in attempts to break big plays after breaking the defense’s assignment rules.