2027 Waco Midway (Texas) running back Lathan Whisenton has star potential written all over him.
The 5-foot-11, 194-pound standout is coming off an impressive junior campaign in which he rushed for 1,502 yards and 24 touchdowns in just 11 games, quickly putting himself on the radar of programs across the country.
Notre Dame running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider has wasted little time making the Texas native a priority, including a stop by Whisenton’s school last month.
“Ever since Coach Seider came over and met me, he showed me some things,” Whisenton told ISD. “He just brought my interest higher. I'm just more curious about what he can do for a running back and just see what he does.”
Whisenton paid close attention to Seider’s recent success, something every high school running back has noticed.
“Honestly, the development he's doing in the backfield right now with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price,” said Whisenton of what stood out in his conversation with Seider. “He just showed me his philosophy of running backs and how he coaches them.”
Seider’s trip to Waco wasn’t lost on Whisenton.
“He told me he was in a rush to get to the Doak Walker ceremony and still decided to make the trip to see me,” Whisenton said.
Notre Dame was far from the only program showing interest in January. Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Kansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, SMU, Stanford, TCU and Texas Tech were among the schools that stopped by Waco Midway.
“It was very busy, but I'm very thankful,” explained Whisenton. “I had some great conversations with coaches who came over or just came over to the school. I'm just glad to have them here.
“This is what I always wanted and it's crazy how it's coming true.”
Spring visits will be the next step in Whisenton’s recruitment. Notre Dame will host him for Junior Day in March, and he also plans to visit a pair of in-state programs.
“I know for sure I’ll also be at Texas Tech and most likely Baylor,” Whisenton said.
As for a decision, Whisenton is taking things day by day. While a summer commitment remains the goal, he didn’t rule out an earlier move.
“Right now, there's some other players committing earlier and stuff, so it's really unpredictable when I’ll commit,” said Whisenton. “I'm going to still try to go on the official visits and commit during July.”
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