Texas phenom Lathan Whisenton wows Notre Dame with his explosive junior season and impressive campus visit, deepening his bond with the coaching staff.
Talented running back Lathan Whisenton is quickly becoming one of the hottest names to know for Notre Dame as spring recruiting kicks into high gear. The Class of 2027 ball carrier from Waco, Texas/Midway has earned the attention, having rushed for 1,502 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior. Notre Dame took note of his talents early when they offered last November, and the 5-foot-11, 194-pound prospect has certainly taken a liking to the Fighting Irish, specifically running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider.
That relationship grew even more this past weekend when Whisenton visited for the first Junior Day visit of the year.
"He knows a lot of football," Whisenton told Irish Breakdown. "Him coming from a quarterbacks coach to a running backs coach, he teaches the running backs how to see the field as a quarterback. I feel like that’s a really unique way. It gets you prepared for the next level too."
Last weekend was Whisenton’s first time on the campus, and the visit made an incredible impression on the Texas back.
"When I got there, it was a little slow, but when I just met the people and the campus it gave me a shock," Whisenton said. "That was the first day I met with Coach Seider. We talked it up, continuing our relationship, that was day one. The more I met the people, the more I feel like Notre Dame, the tradition and stuff, seeing Coach (Marcus) Freeman and Coach (Mike) Denbrock made me like the place more and more and more."
Whisenton is a gifted runner that is without a doubt one of the nation's top running backs. Notre Dame has had a lot of success recruiting Texas running backs in recent seasons, including Jadarian Price and Kedren Young. Making that move is certainly a different climate.
"You win championships in the cold," he said with a wry laugh. "I wouldn’t mind the weather. I see other guys go up there and adapt."
What really caught Whisenton’s attention at Notre Dame was the campus and facilities.
"Probably the architecture," Whisenton said in response to what stood out to him. "At any other college I didn’t get the same feeling at Notre Dame with their buildings and stuff. That and basically they’re updating the facility for the football team and all the athletes over there, so that’s good.
"They are just trying to get better,” he added. "Still hungry, of course. They are not getting complacent. They are kind of around the edge of getting that natty so I understand."
The combination of athletics and academics is also a key standout in Whisenton’s eyes. He wants a place where he can play top college football week in and week out while also getting an upper-crust education, and Notre Dame certainly fits the bill.
"As a prestigious school and having great football like that, I feel like that means a lot, especially the weight the degree comes with," Whisenton said. "(A Notre Dame degree) would mean a lot man, to me and my family. That degree would really change my future in a good way.
"Seeing how hard it is, (the staff) said like ‘You’re going to get help for sure.’ They don’t want you to fail," he added. "It feels great. They got education and ball, and that’s the reason and my purpose in life."
Notre Dame needed to make a strong impression during this visit to become a major factor in his recruitment. The Irish not only did that, they have set the pace moving forward.
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