» WR Jordan Whittington shows what a weapon he is when healthy.
AUSTIN — At points last Saturday, Jordan Whittington made the Ragin’ Cajuns like a group of kids chasing jackrabbits in a doomed open-field pursuit.
The Texas wideout would feint one direction, torso turning and legs traveling in opposite directions, then juke away from defenders. He’d hop around or between the tackles, somehow becoming a 6-foot-1, 203-pound sliver. And even in close quarters, even if an outstretched arm found its way across his jersey or pads, Whittington would wriggle away as the chase continued.
Sophomore running back Bijan Robinson stole the headlines and the awards last weekend after Texas’ 38-18 win over No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette at Royal-Memorial Stadium. And newly christened starting quarterback Hudson Card steered the offense with a steely calmness beyond his years. But Whittington was dynamite in his own right, turning seven receptions into a career-high 113 yards and one touchdown.
“It really goes back to spring ball,” Sarkisian said last Saturday afterward. “You know, he’s been pretty steady for us. He’s a very smart football player. He’s a physical guy. I think he has natural football instincts and that’s where his effectiveness on third down really comes in. He recognizes coverages, he can sit down in zones, he can feel when a quarterback starts to scramble. So I’m really happy for him. I know this has been a long journey for Jordan to get to this point, and to come out and be healthy and play that first game the way he did is a big moment for him.”
Whittington re-aggravated a groin injury in his very first half of college football and missed the rest of the season. He didn’t make it beyond the first halftime in 2020, either, and ended up missing the next two games following surgery to repair a small tear in his lateral meniscus
The former Cuero All-American returned to flash some of his potential while hauling in 10 catches for 65 yards in a quadruple-overtime loss to Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl. Then came a “freak” hip flexor injury and another weeks-long stint on the shelf before returning for the regular-season finale and Alamo Bowl.
So after appearing in just six of a possible 23 games during his first two years on campus, Whittington had the dreaded “injury prone” tag slapped to his helmet like a scarlet letter.
But this offseason was clean. No injuries, freak or otherwise, and no setbacks as Whittington acclimated to a new coaching staff and a fresh quarterback competition between Card and junior Casey Thompson.
“Jordan, I’ve been singing his praises since I got here,” Sarkisain said. “Like everybody, it was a clean slate. I didn’t get hung up on the past injuries with him and the things that have happened in his career. I just let it play out and made sure that we were doing the necessary things from getting him ready to play physically and also from a recovery standpoint. But he’s a heady player. He probably picked up our offense as quick as anybody, probably the quickest in the wide receiver room.
“And I think he’s got a really high football IQ, and that’s why it pays off for him on third down; it pays off for him in the red area.”
Whittington just wouldn’t let the Ragin’ Cajuns get off the field last weekend, a particularly cruel act given the triple-digit temperature readings and stifling air. Four of his seven receptions came on third down, and he converted
each grab into a fresh set of downs for the Longhorns.
It was on a third-and-11 early in the third quarter that Whittington really cut loose. He had a couple feet of space after receiving the pass on a 13-yard curl route, and that was enough.
Whittington spun toward midfield and dodged the first diving tackler, swerved away from two converging defenders, churned through a couple more bodies then piggybacked 194-pound safety Bralen Trahan for about a dozen yards. The 90,000-plus inside Royal-Memorial ate it up.
Whittington’s 41-yard gain set up Robinson’s 7-yard touchdown run, putting Texas ahead 21-6 with 11:38 left in the third quarter. He also delivered the de facto kill shot, turning a quick pass in the flat from backup quarterback Casey Thompson into an acrobatic tightrope sequence along the sideline — Whittington shook three tacklers on that 14-yard touchdown catch-and-run, more pelts for his growing collection.
“There’s been a lot of anxiety, anticipation and everything you can name just building up to this moment,” Whittington said. “Yeah, that’s just the fire that burns inside of me that wants to do whatever I can to help this team win. So that was it on display right there.”