Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Shares Uncertain Injury Update On Noah Whittington

Oregon Ducks starting running back Noah Whittington was listed as "questionable" for the game vs. Northwestern with an undisclosed injury. What is the injury and how long will Whittington be out? A looming matchup vs. No. 2 Penn State looms.

Oregon Ducks Noah Whittington injury | oregon ducks on si darby winter

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks had a surprise on their pre-game availability report ahead of their 34-14 win over Northwestern. Oregon starting running back Noah Whittington was listed as "questionable" for the game with an undisclosed injury.

Whittington did travel to Martin Stadium, in Evanston, Illinois. He was seen on the sideline in uniform but did not have his helmet on. Whittington was not seen taking pre-game reps and he did not enter the game.

Oregon Ducks Noah Whittington | oregon ducks on si darby winter

Jayden Limar at RB to start. Noah Whittington on the sideline without his helmet. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ZxniUAQn8X

— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) September 13, 2025

In Whittington's place, Jayden Limar started at running back while transfer running back Makhi Hughes handled kick off return duties to start.

Dan Lanning Addresses Noah Whittington Injury

Oregon coach Dan Lanning says that Noah Whittington's status is to be determined.

"We will see. If he's ready, we'll have him out there (against Oregon State)," Lanning said. "Ultimately I think we have a good back unit. That is something we've said is a strength. This is why we prepare the way we prepare, because there are a lot of guys that can be used. We've got a lot of guys that can play winning football. That is certainly a position that's shown up."

Look for more injury updates throughout the week.

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Running Back Position Outlook

The bright side, is that running back is the Ducks' deepest position. Oregon coach Dan Lanning revealed the Ducks would travel all seven running backs for the game vs. Northwestern. Without Whittington, running backs Limar, Dierre Hill, Makhi Hughes, Jay Harris, and Jordon Davison will all be excellent options for Oregon.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads his team during the entry walk as the Oregon Ducks host the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The not-so-good news is Whittington is a huge loss for the Ducks because of his on-field talent and his leadership. The sixth-year senior is a culture-setter for Oregon as one of the most tenured players who played with both Heisman Trophy finalist quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.

The question is: How long will Whittington be out? Oregon's next game is vs. Oregon State at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Sept. 20 at 12 p.m. PT. The huge looming matchup is the Ducks game in Happy Valley vs. No. 2 Penn State on Sept. 27 at 4:30 p.m. PT. The top-5 matchup is a rematch of the 2024 Big Ten Championship game and Penn State's famous "White Out" game in Beaver Stadium.

Whittington said he was "100 percent" healthy in April when the Ducks starting spring football. Whittington tore his ACL Oregon's dominant win over Colorado and coach Deion Sanders in 2023, just four games into the season. Whittington had to get reconstructive knee surgery that called for at least one year of recovery time. Instead, Whittington returned to play just 10 months later.

Whittington As A Leader

“He's the best teammate, he's an unbelievable teammate," Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. "He was coming off an injury last year and I don't know that people get to see what we get to see every single day in practice."

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Noah Whittington | oregon ducks on si darby winter

Whittington is not an attention-seeking person. He lets his performance and leadership do the talking with a team-first approach.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore addressed how Whittington has helped push him already this season. On the Monday after the Ducks dominated Montana State in their season-opener, Whittington pulled Moore aside at practice to make sure he wasn’t getting complacent after scoring 59 points in week 1. 

In the stretch line, Whittington said “I am going to push you today No. 5.”

Oregon’s Noah Whittington, left, celebrates the first touchdown of the game against Oklahoma State with teammates during the first quarter at Autzen. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the field, through two games, Whittington leads the Ducks with 159 yards on 14 carries while scoring two touchdown. He also earned the title of one of the fastest players in college football, hitting a max speed of 20.8 miles per hour vs. Montana State - ranking as the 6th fastest player in college football week 1.

Whittington is also on the radar for NFL scouts ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Showing his dependability and consistency would be huge for his draft stock. On NFL Draft Scout, Whittington is currently in the top-10 best running backs for the 2026 class, at No. 8 and as the No. 149 prospect overall.