While the Notre Dame football team has gotten rave reviews from prospects visiting in the last few weeks, the commitment of Lathan Whisenton on Wednesday night was more than a bit of a surprise. While most Fighting Irish fans might not have seen the 4-star running back's commitment coming, it's clear they're going to be plenty happy to have him in the fold.
With the pledge of the 5-foot-11, 194-pound back out of Waco, Texas, the Golden Domers now have eight commitments in their 2027 class. Marcus Freeman and Co. also happen to have one of the best classes in the cycle and will clearly improve their standing with Whisenton added to the mix.
As for why Whisenton decided Notre Dame is where he wanted to play his college football? "I basically got educated on what Notre Dame can offer (me) as an athlete on and off the field," Whisenton said to 247Sports national analyst Tom Loy. "It's a great football program and academic program."
Lathan Whisenton commitment gives Notre Dame football more speed in the 2027 class
Regarding what the Irish are getting from the 4-star running back, who is the No. 19 player in the class and the No. 299 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite rankings? Elite speed is the biggest draw. However, he's also a powerful runner despite his rather small stature and has shown himself to be someone very hard to bring down.
His big-time speed has allowed him to clock a 10.54 100m as well as a verified 4.45 40. If there is a knock on him, it's that his running style is a little too upright, but he makes up for it by showing off good instincts when he needs to drop his pads. He's made an art out of trucking a defender when that's the move called for.
The latest Notre Dame football commit had a productive junior season, rushing for over 1,500 yards with 9.1 yards per carry. Now that he's picked the Irish as his landing spot, he can focus on his senior year and end his high school career on a high.