Dan Lanning provides encouraging injury update on Oregon star ahead of Penn State White Out game

Douglas Santo

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Dan Lanning provides encouraging injury update on Oregon star ahead of Penn State White Out game image

The Oregon Ducks have been without their star running back Noah Whittington for the last two weeks due to an unspecified injury.

However, coach Dan Lanning told reporters on Tuesday morning he expects Whittington to play on Saturday against Penn State for the White Out game.

Whittington is a sixth-year senior and the leader of the Ducks' running back room. His return for the Ducks is massive as they approach the biggest game of the year so far.

Lanning Expects Whittington to Return

Lanning revealed two injury updates on Tuesday morning. The Ducks' coach gave encouraging news on the return of Whittington as well as freshman linebacker Dylan Williams, who was questionable last week against Oregon State and did not play.

However, both players should be ready to go against Penn State for the White Out game on Saturday. Lanning also added both players probably could have played last week, but were held out.

In Whittington's absence, Oregon has used all six of its scholarship running backs. Junior Jayden Limar has started the last two weeks and earned at least 10 carries in each game.

The rest of the running backs have split carries, with four of the other five backs getting at least five carries last week against Oregon State.

With the return of Whittington, he'll likely slide back into the lead role. However, don't be surprised if Limar and others earned more opportunities with their performance during Whittington's absence. Plus, it allows the Ducks to keep all of their backs fresh.

After rushing for 540 yards and six touchdowns last year, Whittington was off to an incredible start in 2025. Through two games, the Ducks' senior had 159 yards and two touchdowns, averaging more than 11 yards per carry.

Oregon will welcome two players back on Saturday, and the addition of Whittington cannot be understated, from his impact on the field to his leadership off of the field.

No. 6 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State will play the second ever AP Top 10 White Out matchup at Beaver Stadium on Saturday evening.

Douglas Santo

Douglas Santo is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. As a senior at Arizona State University, he will complete his B.A. in sports journalism with a minor in business in December 2025. Before his time with Sporting News, Douglas covered the NFL and MLB for Athlon Sports and contributed as a digital reporter for Arizona PBS/Cronkite News. He is also the head of Sun Devil Daily, managing all content produced about Arizona State Sports.