Notre Dame landed a big commitment when running back Lathan Whisenton joined the 2027 recruiting class. It’s another important recruiting win for Notre Dame in the state of Texas. Let’s take a look at the commit profile for Whisenton.
Hometown/High School: Waco, Texas/Midway
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Height/Weight: 6-0, 200
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)Upside Grade: 5.0
2025 Stats: 165 att., 1,502 yards, 9.1 YPC, 24 TD / 10 rec, 102 yards, 0 TD2024 Stats: 204 att., 1,289 yards, 6.3 YPC, 18 TD / 13 rec, 83 yards, 0 TD
Recruited By: Ja’Juan Seider
Offers: Notre Dame, Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida State, Texas A&M, Florida, Michigan, Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, SMU, Wisconsin, Missouri, Baylor, Houston, TCU, Minnesota, California, Oklahoma State, Kansas
On3/Rivals: 4-star – No. 171 overall – No. 12 rB247Sports: 3-star – No. 19 RBESPN: 3-star
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The Notre Dame run game has been built around Midzone, Inside Zone/Duo and a Counter play that is a tight A-gap run that looks a lot like Power with backside blocking. It’s a downhill run game that looks to do damage primarily between the tackles. That’s exactly where Whisenton does his best work. He’s a great downhill runner that shows all the tools need to thrive in the Irish scheme, and he’s a home run hitter to boot. Notre Dame likes to throw the ball to its backs, but Whisenton doesn’t have a lot of work in that area. He does show the traits needed to catch the ball and his power should allow him to develop into a stout pass blocker. He is a great fit for the Notre Dame offense, there’s no doubt about that.
Whisenton has the body you want in an every down back, especially one that can thrive in the specifics of the Notre Dame offense. He has good height for a running back, listed at 5-11, but he appears to be even taller. Whisenton has a stout lower body, and he is a bit low cut, which makes defenders have to go even lower to get a good shot on him. The Midway standout has an athletic, well-defined upper body and he has the frame to be a every down back in the Irish offense.
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It’s one thing to have a great running back frame, but what’s more important is knowing how to use it, and Whisenton certainly does that. Whisenton hunts contact, he wants the smoke, and he would rather run through a defender than around him or to leap over him. His leg drive is elite, as is his contact balance, and these two traits make him a punishing runner that racks up a lot of yards after contact. This part of his game will translate extremely well to the next level.
Whisenton runs with power, but I wouldn’t call him a pure power back. He’s a patient runner with excellent vision. His high school offense asks him to let blocks develop and then attack vertically. He’ll be asked to be a bit more urgent getting downhill at times in the Irish offense, but when running Midzone and the Counter runs this trait will be a major asset. His ability to anticipate and read second level defenders is top notch and adds to his big time talent.
The Midway star has a rare combination of power and speed. He ran a career-best 10.54 in February at the Colt Relays, which matches the career best that Jeremiyah Love had in high school, but Love didn’t reach that mark until his senior season. That track speed shows up on the football field, and Whisenton is a big play waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. You see him use that speed to crease the defense for big plays, he can get to the outside and his ability to bounce off tackles and accelerate is outstanding. Notre Dame wants its offense to be a big play unit, and Whisenton has those tools.
We don’t see Whisenton catch the football much, but in the limited opportunities he shows good hands and the ability to make plays after the catch. His combination of power and toughness should allow him to develop into a strong pass blocker at the next level.
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