Texas powerhouse Lathan Whisenton bypassed local offers for Notre Dame, drawn by Marcus Freeman’s culture and a proven pipeline that recently sent two Irish backs to the NFL.
Notre Dame kicked off its spring recruiting period with a huge Junior Day weekend, and one of the top visitors on campus that weekend was 2027 running back Lathan Whisenton. The Waco, Texas/Midway star was so blown away by the visit that within a week he committed to Notre Dame, and he hasn't looked back.
Whisenton fell in love with Notre Dame, and how well he fit into the program both on and off the field. He wasn't alone, as his family also saw the immediate attraction and fit into the Irish program.
"They love it, they love it, man," he stated, repeatedly. "They love it. Just like the brand. Being at Notre Dame is just a great achievement, you would say. ... the brand, being at Notre Dame, the coaches too, they like the coaches there."
The 6-0, 205-pound running back was impressed with the performance of Irish stars Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who were both first round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. It marked the first time in the common draft era that backs from the same school were the first two running backs taken in a class.
That wasn't lost on Whisenton, who has developed a strong relationship with running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. Neither was the fact that both came out of the South and thrived in South Bend.
"In the NFL, scouts always go to Notre Dame," Whisenton noted. "They always just prepare for the next level of life for sure, not only after football but in life. It comes with the full package for sure. Education, football, I feel like trying something new and getting out of Texas was a (goal) for me.
"That’s why I chose Notre Dame. Me and Coach Seider have a good relationship," continued Whisenton. "Obviously, the development is there. I feel like it’s a great pick for me, going to Notre Dame.”
The relationship with Seider proved to be the deciding factor in why he chose the Irish.
"They always wanted me to get up there,” said Whisenton, who has inked an official visit for June 19. "Coach Seider really wanted me. He came over to my school. After that talk, he really got me interested in them and I came over for their Junior Day and I really liked it. After that, I had a conversation with my parents, narrowing it down, and Notre Dame was the best option.”
Both Whisenton and his parents have made a great connection with head coach Marcus Freeman.
“He’s a great fit," Whisenton said of the Irish head coach. "I feel like he has a spotlight on him, that comes with the hype. Notre Dame is with it. I feel like Marcus Freeman is a great head coach. I talked with him, me and my parents. He’s just a simple guy, he’s like us. He doesn’t want to put the ego on us or anything, he’s just a simple guy.”
Whisenton had an outstanding junior season, rushing for 1,502 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging an impressive 9.1 yards per carry. That came after a sophomore season in which he rushed for 1,289 yards and 18 more touchdowns. The Midway standout is hoping to finish his high school career off with his best season yet. That's why he's putting in work to improve his game.
"I think I can get more loose in the hips," Whisenton said of areas he's trying to improve. "I’d say, yeah, catching too. I feel like I can get better at catching. Blocking, for sure, too. I feel like right now I’m pretty dominant, but I know at the next level it gets more advanced.”
Whisenton is just as interested in thriving off the field as he is on it. He knows exactly what he wants to do on the field, but he's still considering the what he wants to do off the field.
"My brother, he’s in accounting right now," he noted. "I’m kind of interested in that and stuff. But it really depends. I’m probably going to choose my career, my job, over things I’m more around.”
One thing that Whisenton is also doing this spring is running track for Midway, and he's been impressive. He ran a 10.43 at an event on April 16th and he's also had three different meets where he's run in the 10.5 range, showing off his home run speed. That speed shows up on film, which plays a role in why he earned a Top 100 grade on the Irish Breakdown board.
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