Oregon Ducks' Noah Whittington Gives Injury Update Ahead Of Final Football Season

Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington decided to return to college and play his sixth and final season for Dan Lanning and the Ducks. Whittington has been with Oregon since 2022 and has battled through injuries and adversity. He's ready to "attack" this season because as he says, its his last.

Nov 9, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) breaks away from Maryland Terrapins linebacker Daniel Wingate (16) during the second half for a first down at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington is entering his sixth and final collegiate season in 2025. Whittington is classified as a redshirt senior and is looking to finish his college career on a strong note. 

Whittington spoke after the Ducks’s Spring practice on Thursday. 

Noah Whittington Ready To Attack Final Year In Eugene

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) runs against Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) 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 Whittington’s time with the Oregon Ducks will come to an end following the 2025 season. He had the opportunity to explore elsewhere this past offseason, but opted to return to Eugene for one last run with the Ducks and coach Dan Lanning.

"I feel like this is the best decision for me, to be guaranteed to keep playing the sport that I love,” Whittington said. “Oregon is home. It’s a great pace to play. I love playing for Coach Lanning.”

Whittington suffered a torn ACL early in the 2023 season, and has been battling back ever since. He says that now he feels as confident as he ever has.

“I feel like I’m the most confident I have ever been in it now. It was a pretty big injury. Now I feel 100% healthy,” Whittington said. “Being able to just have fun and play and not really think about it...(I want to) attack my last year. Because that’s what is is."

Whittington Gives High Praise To Ducks’ Running Back Room

Nov 24, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) runs against UTSA Roadrunners running back Kevorian Barnes (4) during the first half at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Noah Whittington was asked about the rest of the Ducks running back room for the 2025 season, including incoming Tulane transfer, Makhi Hughes. 

“He (Hughes) brings a sense of violence…He doesn’t take contact, he enforces it,” Whittington said. “I don’t think anyone is really going to want to tackle him.”

Whittington also addressed what freshman running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. bring to the table. He says the two could be like a “thunder and lightning duo” for the Oregon backfield in the future.

“Jordon is like a force to be reckoned with. He’s a downhill runner, he’s a little heavy, but he’s not slow,” Whittington said. “With that much mass and speed, that creates a lot of power. He’s going to cause a lot of problems.”

When talking about Dierre Hill Jr., Whittington says that he has a “superpower.”

“Seeing his (Dierre’s) ability to jump cut, his speed…we were doing some drills the other day, ‘you got to learn to how to control that because it’s a superpower’,” Whittington said. “He’s going to be able to be that home run hitter. If he gets loose, he’s gone.”

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Noah Whittington’s Career

Oregon running back Noah Whittington carries the ball during open practice for the Oregon Ducks at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. ahead of the Rose Bowl Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Noah Whittington was a high school class of 2019 running back out of Fort Valley, Georgia. Whittington was just rated as a two-star recruit and signed with Western Kentucky for the 2020 season. Whittington saw very limited action in his freshman season, but started to breakout in 2021.

Whittington accumulated 675 total yards and two touchdowns in 2021 while averaging 6.1 yards per carry in 12 games. After the season, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Oregon.

In his three seasons at Oregon from 2022 through 2024, Whittington shared the backfield with Bucky Irving and Jordan James. Whittington was a nice complement to each of them and totaled 1,465 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in that time frame.