Oregon Ducks' Dangerous Running Backs: Noah Whittington, Makhi Hughes Rising Stars

After a 2024 season in which the Oregon Ducks secured a Big Ten Conference Championship and reached the College Football Playoff, the roster makeup will face nearly a full-scale revamp.

Among the players who graduated and hit the 2025 NFL Draft was running back Jordan James. He left a void to be filled at the position, as he led the team in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns last season.

Oregon running back Noah Whittington carries the ball before the game as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes. — Oregon running back Noah Whittington carries the ball before the game as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are the returners and incoming players who could break into a prominent role in the backfield this season.

Key Returners

Injuries have limited redshirt senior running back Noah Whittington’s time on the field with Oregon, but he’ll be back for his sixth year of collegiate football. Whittington returned from an ACL tear at the start of last season. In 14 games last fall, he rushed 118 times for 540 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.

“I feel like I’m the most confident I have ever been in it now,” Whittington said in April. “It was a pretty big injury. Now I feel 100% healthy.”

The redshirt senior plays with a type of physicality that’s made him standout from other backs. He went viral last season with a touchdown against Illinois where he trucked over a defender to find the endzone.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) pushes Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) out of bounds in the second half in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Noah knows truck sticks 👀

Who else would like to relive Noah Whittington's highlight @OregonFootball TD vs. Illinois? 😎#TouchdownTuesday x #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/JiSAdti7tn
— Oregon on BTN (@OregononBTN) May 13, 2025

Whittington hasn’t been No. 1 back in the room since he’s shared the backfield with James and former Oregon Duck, current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Bucky Irving. He adds experience to the running back room as the longest tenured player at the position, entering his fourth year with the Ducks.

Also returning is redshirt freshman Da'Jaun Riggs, who spent limited time on the field in 2024. He earned minutes at the end of Oregon’s victories against Washington and Illinois. In those two games, Riggs found the end zone once and picked up 82 yards on 11 carries.

“He's a guy that now understands where to hit right on a certain path, understands where he's going to be at in a route where he's at,” coach Dan Lanning said during spring practices. “Picking up the system, I think is huge for him, but he's proven to be a guy that's elusive.”

Oregon coach Dan Lanning greets Fighting Ducks running back Jayden Limar before the game as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Riggs will likely be competing with junior Jayden Limar and redshirt junior Jayden Limar for the secondary running back role.

Limar played in 25 out of 28 games in his first two seasons with the Ducks. He rushed 25 times for 71 yards as a sophomore, mainly playing in blowout games. Harris appeared in just four games last fall after transferring from Missouri State. He picked up 35 yards on 10 carries and rushed for a touchdown.

Notable Newcomers

Arguably one of Oregon’s most exciting offseason pickups is redshirt junior Mahki Hughes, a transfer from Tulane. The Ducks beat out multiple programs to pick him up from the portal. An explosive back, Hughes ran for 15 touchdowns and 1,401 yards on 265 carries last season.

Oct 13, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) runs with the ball during the first half against the Memphis Tigers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Also joining the running back room are freshmen backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill. Both of the Ducks’ four-star recruits will look to make an impact as part of a deep running back room.

"Dierre got here a little bit later, and he's picking up quick. He has some great runs in the scrimmage. Didn't go down on contact. And once he picks this up, I think he's gonna be a great, great fit. And then Jordon's really a physical runner. Did a good job. It’s a little bit different when you make a tackle on scrimmage day. A guy like that's always falling forward and does a great job pushing the ball down the field."
Lanning

Outside of the backfield, the Oregon offense will also have new faces starting at quarterback and wide receiver. The Ducks will have a healthy balance of youth and experience across the board, with electric players getting reps to set them up for the future.