Since Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington went down with an apparent leg injury in the second half of a Week 4 win over the Colorado Buffaloes, there was a fear that much, if not all, of his 2023 season could be in jeopardy.
According to head coach Dan Lanning, Whittington is now expected to miss the remainder of the season due to that leg injury.
Lanning told media members after the game that Whittington was expected “to be down for a bit” with his injury, but it wasn’t clear at that time where the ailment was located in Whittington’s left leg or the severity of the injury. You can see in this video that it appears the injury came after he was rolled up on during a tackle in the second half vs. Colorado.
Here is the play that knocked RB Noah Whittington out of the game, and likely out for a few weeks, per Lanning.
Left ankle, you can see it buckle under some contact. Carted to the locker room after spending time in the medical tent. pic.twitter.com/UwxEzcfA5C
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) September 25, 2023
While the season-ending injury is a massive bummer for Whittington, who was averaging 75 total yards per game and had 2 touchdowns the season, he does have eligibility remaining. Since Whittington played in only four games this season, he should be able to redshirt. Even without a redshirt season, Whittington would still have one year of eligibility remaining, should he want to come back to Eugene in 2024.
Going forward, it looks as if the Ducks will need to rely heavily on Bucky Irving and Jordan James. They are two of the best RBs in the Pac-12, and Lanning compares the duo favorably to the best in the nation.
Oregon also has a tandem of true freshmen: Jayden Limar and Dante Dowdell, who have the ability to step up when called upon going forward.