In Dan Lanning's time as head coach of the Oregon Ducks, the Ducks have always had an elite running game. Led for the first two years by Bucky Irving and then Jordan James in 2024, the Ducks' consistency running the football has been the basis for their offensive success. And although Oregon has said goodbye to Irving and James, the future of the Ducks' running back room is healthy and secure.
Next fall, the Ducks' top RBs will be Mahki Hughes, a junior transfer who excelled in two years at Tulane, and Noah Whittington, the former backfield partner of Irving and James. But Oregon's RB succession plan goes beyond Hughes and Whittington.
"I would say in the future, we've got a 'Thunder and Lightning' duo," Whittington said following the Ducks' Thursday practice, referring to freshmen Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill.
Davison and Hill are both 4-stars from the class of 2025, with Davison ranked as the No. 20 RB and Hill at No. 23. At 6 feet tall and 216 pounds, Davison is likely who Whittington sees as 'Thunder,' and Hill, his 5 feet 11 inch and 180-pound counterpart as 'Lightning.'
"Jordon is a force to be reckoned with," Whittington said. "He's a downhill runner. He's a little heavy, but he's not slow. With that much mass and speed, it creates a lot of power. He's going to cause a lot of problems. With Dierre, he just got here, but just seeing his ability to jump cut and his speed. We were doing some drills the other day, and I was like 'You've got to learn how to control that'. It's his superpower because he's just so fast. In the future, it's going to be like his superpower, because he's going to be that home run hitter. If he gets loose, he's gone."
That's a lot of confidence from a player who's seen several elite backs come through Oregon, but Davison and Hill have a long road to the top of the depth chart ahead of them. After Hughes and Whittington, the Ducks have junior Jayden Limar and sophomore Da'Jaun Riggs — who impressed many with his tough running in garbage time in 2024.
This isn't the first time Whittington has coined an Oregon RB duo 'Thunder and Lightning,' a nickname that originates with former USC stars Reggie Bush and LenDale White. Two years ago, when Limar was a freshman, Whittington called him Lightning and fellow freshman Dante Dowdell, Thunder. In two seasons as a Duck, Limar has rushed for 180 yards and 1 TD, and after his freshman year at Oregon, Dowdell transferred to Nebraska.
With as many talented backs as Oregon has, it's hard to say what the long-term future of the Ducks' run game is, but it certainly won't be a linear succession. In 2025, the Ducks are set with Hughes and Whittington, and down the road, add Davison and Hill to your list of players who could make a big difference for the Ducks.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks RB Noah Whittington shows high confidence in young RBs
