Despite Steve Sarkisian and Co. reportedly being in "fairly good position" with 4-star RB Lathan Whisenton from Waco, TX, he recently announced that he's officially committed to the University of Notre Dame.
The 5'11", 194-pound back from Waco Midway HS has been one of the top ball-carriers in the state of Texas since his sophomore year in 2024. Over the past two seasons, he's combined for 2,788 rushing yards, averaged 7.5 ypc, and rushed for 42 touchdowns.
Those are absurd numbers, and he's undoubtedly set to explode as a senior in 2026.
He had planned on taking an official visit to Texas on June 12th, but now it's unclear whether or not he'll still be coming to town. It's definitely possible he will, as that type of thing happens all the time. For instance, the Longhorns' top commit for the 2027 class, WR Easton Royal, continues to take official visits all over the place.
BREAKING: Four-Star RB Lathan Whisenton has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 25, 2026
The 6’0 200 RB from Waco, TX chose the Fighting Irish over Florida and Texas Tech
“GO IRISH 🍀🍀🍀🍀”⁰⁰https://t.co/anKtgQRbpg pic.twitter.com/N9NV4mX4UU
There's a very good chance that Texas RB Coach Jabbar Juluke will continue to stay in touch with Whisenton, as he might be a potential last-minute flip candidate for the Longhorns. After all, he is the prototype running back for Sarkisian's offense in terms of vision and explosive playmaking ability.
Whisenton has the speed and acceleration to find a hole quickly and burst through it before linebackers even know where he is, which is why his yards per carry average is so incredibly high, even for the high school level.
He recently ran a blazing 10.54s 100-meter dash in track & field last month as well, which shows off his long-speed.
Very few ball-carriers in the 2027 class have the overall ability to do some of the things that Whisenton can, and all Texas fans can do now is hope for a flip to happen before National Signing Day.