Texas WR Jordan Whittington 'Making Most' Of Time With Longhorns

Jordan Whittington sat down on a January morning and took a harsh look at his future in football. Before declaring for the NFL draft, prospects can meet with the NFL’s College Advisory Committee and discuss their stock. 

Players who grade out as first-round talents are often advised to leave for the pros. Those who learn more toward Day 2 chatter are given advice on the next steps. And if told they'd likely be a late-round pick or undrafted free agent, prospects are often encouraged to return to school. 

Whittington, who totaled 50 catches for 652 yards for the Texas Longhorns' offense in 2022, fell in the final category. And while no one expects to spend five seasons in college when the NFL is waiting to give players a payday, Whittington realized it wasn't just what was best for his professional athletic career, but also his business one. 

“I came back to just improve myself, honestly, and try to improve this team as much as I can and make as much of a big impact as I can,” Whittington said Thursday. “And I came back to get that Big 12 championship.”

Whittington said the committee's advice was one factor in his decision. The other? Anthony Cook. 

Like Whittington, Cook arrived in Austin as a can't-miss five-star talent with the intent of lasting three years in college before taking off for the pros as a Day 1 selection. 

That didn't happen. Injuries and positional additions led to Cook sitting on the bench for most of his first three seasons. By the time he earned a starting job as the team's nickel defender, he was already in Year 4, and needed one final season to give scouts more tape. 

Cook is now expected to be a late-round selection or a priority undrafted free agent.

“Me and [Cook] were both rated high when we come here,” Whittington said. “You don't expect, especially when you start, that you'll get plagued by injuries and stuff will happen where you have to be here for five years until it's here. I had to put my pride aside and just realize this is what I needed to do. That's something that (Cook) told me, and he just told me to do what's best for me.” 

Whittington likely would have flirted with the idea of leaving following a loss to then-No. 12 Washington in the Alamo Bowl had he remained healthy. He missed 25 games in his first three seasons due to multiple injuries, leading to Texas redshirting him as a freshman. 

Last season was the first year where Whittington played all 13 games. Not only did he post career numbers in receptions and yards, but also finished with a team-low drop percentage (5.7 percent), per Pro Football Focus. Per PFF, he also ranked ninth nationally in pass blocking among Power Five wideouts.

“J-Whitt, he’s that all-around receiver,” safety Jerrian Thompson said. “When you are faced up on him, you have to know who you're dealing with.”

Whittington not only wants to be more productive, but he also hopes to be a security blanket for the quarterbacks. So far this spring, he's built a rapport with sophomore passer Quinn Ewers and quickly bonded with new receivers coach Chris Jackson. Jackson is set to replace Brennan Marion, who left this offseason to become the offensive coordinator at UNLV. 

Jackson, who comes from a more NFL background, has developing receivers as if they were playing on Sundays, not Saturdays. So far, it's led to better competition on the field. 

Whittington might be the oldest receiver in the room, but starting reps are earned under third-year coach Steve Sarkisian. The receiving room could be a strong suit this year for Texas with the return of Whittington, a healthy Xavier Worthy and Isaiah Neyor. 

The Longhorns also added Georgia's A.D. Mitchell from the transfer portal and recruited DeAndre Moore Jr. from California and Johntay Cook II from DeSoto (Texas). 

"It's a real competitive room," said Whittington. "We’re all going against each other, but at the same time, we're making each other better. We took a really big step up, and I'm really excited to watch them this year.”

Returning to the Forty Acres isn't just about Whittington's growth as a prospect, but also as a person. He hopes to be the leader on the field by setting the tone in practice and instilling knowledge in the next generation of Longhorns. 

“I think there's different ways of leading,” Whittington said. “You're going to have the vocal ones, and then you're going to have the guys that, you know, they're not necessarily vocal, but they do what they need to do, and you can watch them. 

"I think we're getting every single person on the team to move in that direction.”

Whittington has already proven he's willing to make changes to better his program. One significant switch this season will be his jersey number, moving off of No. 4 in favor of No. 13. 

The reasoning? C.J. Baxter, the five-star running back from Orlando, Fla., who donned the No. 4 all his life and called it "personally meaningful" to wear in college. While Whittington rocked with No. 3 in high school, he knew that Ewers won that jersey number over last season. 

Whittington's willing to provide whatever helps the team stay the course en route to one more Big 12 title.

“When I was younger I was trying to prove a lot to external factors and now it’s more me just proving to myself what I can do,” Whittington said. “And I think that ultimately helped me make that leap that I made because it was internally focused, not focused on things outside of me.”

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