Tag: Noah Whittington

PFF includes Oregon in their list of the 10 best RB rooms in CFB

With Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington back for more, the Ducks have one of the best RB rooms in the nation this year.

One moment from the Oregon Ducks’ 2022 season that stands out to me came during a drive in the 2nd quarter of the UCLA game. The Ducks ran the ball almost every down of a 10+ play drive until they scored a TD. The reason it stands out is that the Oregon backfield was collecting its 8-10 yards a play, seemingly with ease. UCLA had no answer.

While Ducks’ fans were hopeful for Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington headed into the 2022 season, they exceeded most expectations and became one of the elite RB duos in college football. Headed into 2023, both Whittington and Irving are back, along with several new pickups, and Oregon’s rushing attack seems primed for another high-achieving season. in Oregon’s pro-style offense, the success of the RB room is paramount to the success of the Oregon Ducks, and hopefully, the committee of Irving, Whittington, as well as others, are up to the challenge.

When looking at the best RB rooms in the nation, where do the Ducks stand? PFF recently broke it down.

Noah Whittington has bulked up, looking to add more power to rushing attack

Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington has added some weight this offseason and bulked up with goals of being a more powerful rusher.

Oregon football has had a nice little run of having a tandem running back attack where one tailback is the so-called “speed back” with the other being a “power back.”

Last season, however, the duo of Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington were basically two sides of the same coin. But according to running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, Whittington has taken it upon himself to turn into the power to Irving’s speed.

“We’ve got two of probably the top five backs in the Pac-12 here at Oregon and that’s Bucky and Noah,” he said. “Noah’s a little bit heavier this year. Last year Noah was playing around about 192 (pounds) and he’s like 203 now. So he’s a little bit bigger and like I said, Bucky might be the quickest one in the room, but Noah by far is the fastest one. So it’s good having a one-two punch with both of them, and they feed off each other.”

Having two different backs with different abilities makes it even tougher for defenses to prepare. Even though Whittington will play the power back role, it doesn’t mean he’ll be three yards and a cloud of dust. If opponents don’t watch out, Whittington will bust out for an explosion play and leave defenders in his wake.

“Well, he’s already powerful for a little dude. I think he’s got more explosiveness. I don’t think guys like hitting him a whole lot, but it’s going to help him,” Locklyn said of the junior tailback. “He dealt with some injuries last year that he played through. I think this year is going to help with that but he looks good. I think he has like seven or eight percent body fat. So like the lowest on the team. I expect for him and Bucky to have a bigger year this year and continue to feed off one another.”

The two combined for nearly 1,900 yards last season and 10 touchdowns, five each. Should Whittington and Irving actually improve on those numbers, the sky’s the limit.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Studying defense has helped Carlos Locklyn take Oregon RB room to next level

“Obviously, we’ve got some of the best defensive minds in college football here, so I’m learning every day.”

The focus this spring for Carlos Locklyn — the Oregon Ducks’ running backs coach — goes beyond getting players in playing shape. He wants every single person in the running backs room to feel the desire to learn and get better, including himself.

“You gotta learn every day,” Locklyn said. “I always tell my guys ‘Don’t ever let your cup get too full.’ You always pick up some knowledge, some things from wherever you go.”

Locklyn joined the Ducks last year after a successful season coaching at Western Kentucky in 2021, and a promising career with stops at Memphis, and Florida State as well. 

Oregon’s running backs found success under Locklyn as well. Last season, they combined for 2,336 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. This amounted to an average of 5.91 yards per carry among all running backs, which was an increase from 2021.

Despite the success, Locklyn is on a mission to improve one aspect of his coaching skill set: analyzing the other side of the ball.

“This year, I’ve been spending most of my time really studying defense,” he said. “Obviously, we got some of the best defensive minds in college football here so I’m learning every day.”

Alluding to head coach Dan Lanning, defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, and defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin, Locklyn made it clear that the Ducks have their bases covered when it comes to defensive schemes.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Ducks’ defensive line looks strong. This presents a challenge in practice for the running backs as they try to break through a robust D-line. Locklyn welcomes this challenge, and it may be valuable in his journey to get better at attacking opposing defenses. However, he didn’t care to name some of the top players in the trenches that have been testing his guys this spring. 

“For the running back room, it means nothing for us,” Locklyn said. “I don’t care who Coach Lanning’s got over there, we’re going to do our job. They come through there, we’re going to smack them in the mouth,”

Next season, star running backs Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington will be returning for their second seasons in Eugene. Hopefully, the efforts being made this spring by Locklyn and Oregon’s running backs will lead to a strong rushing season for the Ducks.

[mm-video type=video id=01gyhsas7fcxdpt2zvpg playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gyhsas7fcxdpt2zvpg/01gyhsas7fcxdpt2zvpg-068542ac25c00036d28049eda6fb11a3.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Leadership becoming top priority for Bucky Irving, Noah Whittington in year two with Ducks

Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington were newcomers last season, but now as vets, they are learning how to lead off the field as well.

When Bucky Irving took the field for the opening snap against Georgia last season, a lot of fans were asking, “Who’s this guy?”

Everyone quickly found out exactly who he was.

Irving came to Oregon via Minnesota alongside his fellow transfer tailback Noah Whittington (Western Kentucky), creating a dynamic tandem in the backfield for the Ducks in 2022. Now as veterans, those two are learning how to mentor young tailbacks such as Jordan James, Dante Dowdell, and Jayden Limar.

According to running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, Irving and Whittington are excelling at becoming leaders off the field as well as gaining yards and scoring touchdowns on the field.

“For me with those two, I’m pressing on them more to become leaders. The football part, I’m going to help them take care of it,” Locklyn said. “The biggest part is helping them become better leaders, showing the young guys the standard and what the standard is. It’s a blessing to have them. They’re very talented kids.”

Irving showed that talent to the tune of 1,058 yards and five touchdowns in his first season as a Duck. He also showed he was dangerous catching passes out of the backfield with 31 receptions for 299 yards and three more scores.

As for Whittington, the former Hilltopper gained 779 yards and scored five touchdowns in his initial season as a Duck. He also caught 22 passes and had one touchdown.

Locklyn says those two players are ready to show there is a lot more in their wheelhouse.

“I think we’re going to see some things out of both of them this year that we didn’t use them last year that way, but they’re capable of doing a lot of things,” Locklyn said of Irving and Whittington. “But my biggest impression on them about being leaders, not just vocal but showing the young guys how to do things. Being on time, taking care of your body, and studying. They are two great leaders in my room. They’re showing the younger guys the proper way to do things. So they’re just not good players, they’re learning how to become great leaders.”

Oregon has an embarrassment of riches where the running back position is concerned and with leaders such as Irving and Whittington, the Ducks will be set in the backfield for the next few years at least.

[mm-video type=video id=01gyg43x1nkd5paba2eq playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gyg43x1nkd5paba2eq/01gyg43x1nkd5paba2eq-1c750577ae5d8b06ab077fd1ccfe8413.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Carlos Locklyn talks Bucky Irving, Will Stein’s offense, and Ducks’ immense RB depth

“We’ve got two of probably the top five backs in the Pac-12 here at Oregon.” Carlos Locklyn is nothing short of confident heading into 2023.

The running back position at the University of Oregon carries a lot of weight and history. Going back through the decades, swathes of legendary players have come through the program, and they’ve been coached by some of the most legendary coaches.

There is a standard of greatness, and since taking over as the new RB coach last season, Carlos Locklyn has done everything in his power to uphold that standard.

He’s doing a pretty good job, if you were to ask anyone of their opinion.

Last year with Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington leading the way, Oregon’s rushing attack saw a nice boost, and that is expected to continue this year with those two starters returning, as well as the expected elevation of Jordan James. On top of that the Ducks signed a pair of highly-rated true freshmen in Dante Dowdell and Jayden Limar, both of whom could contribute early in their careers.

On Thursday, we got a chance to talk to Locklyn for the first time this spring and broke down Oregon’s RB room. Here are some of the best quotes from that interview.

How high on Ducks’ career rushing list can Bucky Irving climb after Oregon career?

If Bucky Irving sticks around for 2 more years, how high on Oregon’s all-time career rushing list can he climb? We did the math.

There was a lot to marvel at for the Oregon Ducks during the 2022 season.

While the biggest storylines were centered around quarterback Bo Nix, the breakout of wide receiver Troy Franklin, and the frustration centered around the defense, one of the players who garnered the most love and adoration from the fan base was running back Bucky Irving.

After transferring to Oregon from Minnesota in 2022, Irving quickly showcased how dynamic of a player he could be in a Ducks’ uniform. It didn’t always show itself on the stat sheet — Irving was unable to crack the 100-yard mark until Week 7 vs. UCLA — but anyone who watched the games knew instantly how electric No. 0 was.

Because of the time-share that Irving had with fellow RB Noah Whittington, the season-long stats aren’t as impressive as many think they could have been. However, there is a hope and a belief among Duck fans that a little bit of leash will be let out going forward, and Iriving will be able to really show what he can do.

Should that happen, how good can he be? Based on pure talent, it’s clear that Irving is among the most talented running backs that the Ducks have had in the past couple of decades, which is not something that should be said lightly. So should he get the runway to do some damage on the ground, where could he end up in the Oregon record books once his career is over?

That’s a question that I wanted to try and find an answer to. Let’s start by looking at his career stats, and going from there.

PFF says Oregon’s Bucky Irving was a Top 10 running back in 2022

According to PFF, Oregon’s Bucky Irving was one of the best tailbacks in the nation for the 2022 season.

It wasn’t a major story when it happened, but the transfer of tailback Bucky Irving to Oregon from Minnesota was quietly one of the biggest portal pickups for 2022.

Irving, along with Noah Whittington, turned out to be a great 1-2 punch at the running back position for the Ducks. Who knows where Oregon would have been without that duo?

But it was Irving’s Batman to Whittington’s Robin and the Batman portion of the pair was graded by PFF as one of the Top 10 tailbacks in the country. Irving finished the season with 977 yards on the ground, averaged 6.7 yards per carry, and scored five touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes and two more scores.

Here are the Top 10 tailbacks for 2022 according to the analytics.

Position Outlook: How future of Oregon’s RB room looks after recent transfers, recruiting news

A look at how Oregon’s RB room stacks up in the coming years after recent transfers, recruiting news.

At this point in the college football season, nearly everyone in the nation is seeing their roster go through a makeover of sorts. For some teams, that means a complete overhaul, and droves of players decide to enter the transfer portal and find a new home. Other teams will see numerous players leave for the NFL draft, leaving a spot to fill behind them. A lot of schools will also have the prospect of highly-rated recruits coming to town to fill a need.

For the Oregon Ducks, we’ve got a little bit of all three of those scenarios. We’ve already seen a few players enter the transfer portal, and as the offseason grows longer, you can expect more to declare for the NFL draft. That allows us to take a look at some position groups as a whole and assess how the future looks.

Today, we want to look closely at the running backs room. We got word earlier in the week that Byron Cardwell will enter the transfer portal, which came as little surprise On top of that, there are a few players who could decide to leave, but it feels like this is a relatively solid group going into the offseason.

Let’s take a closer look.

Oregon Ducks Player of the Game: Running back Noah Whittington

Bo Nix was masterful once again, but the Oregon Ducks Player of the Game award goes to running back Noah Whittington in the win over Cal.

The Oregon Ducks moved to 7-1 on the season, and 5-0 in conference play, with a 42-24 win over the Cal Golden Bears on Saturday.

Bo Nix threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns, and he added three more on the ground as well in another outstanding performance for the gunslinger.

However, today’s player of the game goes to another key performer in Oregon’s offense, running back Noah Whittington.

Whittington had perhaps his best game in an Oregon uniform, rushing 10 times for 66 yards, which led the team. Additionally, he also tied for the team lead in receiving yards (67) while securing a touchdown.

Considering Whittington had 58 total receiving yards in 2021 while at Western Kentucky, seeing him get active as a receiver is a welcome sight for Duck fans.

Whittington, Bucky Irving (61 receiving yards), and Sean Dollars (48) were all active in the receiving game, allowing Nix to move the ball horizontally and vertically – which put a strain on Cal’s defense and allowed the Ducks to hang 42 points on the scoreboard.

Oregon gets another road game next week when they head to Boulder to take on the Buffs in Week 10.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=32602]

5 takeaways from Oregon’s statement blowout over Arizona Wildcats

Oregon’s rushing attack is unrivaled, and their young secondary came to play against an elite passing team. Here are our 5 takeaways from Saturday’s victory.

A lot of wacky stuff took place in the Pac-12 conference on Saturday.

For starters, an unproven and unbeaten UCLA Bruins team hosted the class-of-the-conference Utah Utes in Los Angeles and shook up the power balance with a convincing 42-32 win. Over in Tempe, a somewhat feisty Arizona State team proved that you don’t need a head coach to be successful, further exposing an apparently fledgling Washington Huskies team, 45-38. Down in Los Angeles, the USC Trojans briefly engaged in a dogfight with the Washington State Cougars before eventually pulling away.

Across the conference, it was clear that there were some weird vibes out and about as spooky season is upon us. That’s the last thing that Oregon Duck fans wanted to hear as their team got set to kick off in the desert against the Arizona Wildcats, a team that has had their goat in the past.

Fortunately, it seems that Dan Lanning doesn’t believe in ghosts, and the tough losses of the past seemed to bare no weight on Saturday’s matchup.

The Ducks took care of business and made it clear early on that this would not be a game that came down to the wire. With a final score of 49-22, we got another chance to see the depth on the roster get a good run while the proven starters sat back and relaxed for the final quarter.

On a day when some of the top teams in the conference faltered, Oregon stayed afloat and proved that they belong near the top of everyone’s power rankings. Here are some of our biggest takeaways from the performance: