The buzz surrounding Jordan Whittington couldn’t have been higher when he committed to play football at the University of Texas. In his final high school game, Whittington put on a show en route to winning a state championship game. He ran the ball 28 times for 334 yards, a 11.9 yards per carry average that blows the mind of many. Not to mention his five touchdowns that set a state record.
The composite five-star recruit was expected to see some action in his freshman season behind Keaontay Ingram but his injury ruined any thought of a breakout season. Whittington would be shut down due to a sports hernia that required surgery. Fast forward to the next offseason and the expectations are still there for Whittington. It likely won’t be as a full-time running back.
The Longhorns have Ingram, a quarterback convert in Roschon Johnson and the nation’s number one rated running back Bijan Robinson set to get the carries for the offense. J-Whitt is moving over to wide receiver and the position is in desperate need for playmakers. The returning leading receiver in Brennan Eagles has stated he won’t play another snap. Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay are now gone.
Whittington will find himself in a battle to take the slot role with another top recruit from the 2019 recruiting cycle in Jake Smith. New offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich will need to figure out who plays where and when. Given the talent of a player like Whittington, they need to find ways to get him involved. The question now all surrounds the health of J-Whitt.
According to Jeff Howe of 247Sports, head coach Tom Herman recently weighed in on his health.
Head coach Tom Herman said Thursday on a video conference with reporters that Whittington “is full speed running and cutting without pain,” which builds on the positive report he had on the Cuero product’s progress in April during Horns247’s Texas Tailgate virtual chat.
“If we were to play a game tomorrow, he would play,” Herman said. “He’s still got a little soreness, some scar tissue down there. I mean, two different surgeries in your pelvic region is not ideal, but he’s, he’s on the mend and was full speed, full clearance on the winter conditioning drills.
Herman went on to talk about how they wanted a hybrid player that could be both a runner and pass catcher in their offense. That could be how Jordan Whittington makes his impact on the 2020 Texas Longhorns.. The positive news is that it appears that he is ready to run.