Whaley Prepares for Unlikely Debut

Dominique Whaley, a junior walk-on running back, is set to make his debut tomorrow against Tulsa. He played in 10 games during the 2008 season at Langston University, an NAIA school, as a backup. According to the Oklahoman, his only other offer out of high school was from Emporia State University in Kansas.

After OU released a depth chart this week listing Whaley as a co-starter with Brennan Clay, most fans began wondering if the other scholarship backs were really struggling that badly. But Sooner players tell the Oklahoman that Whaley is a serious talent.

“Since the first day he got here, he opened all our eyes real big,” said nickel back Tony Jefferson. “We're like, ‘You're a walk-on? You should be playing somewhere.'”

[…]

“I remember the very first (spring) practice he was running down the sidelines,” said center Ben Habern. “I said, 'Who is that?' Someone tells me, 'Dominique Whaley.' I was like, 'I don't even know who he is.' They said, 'He's a walk-on.'

“I was shocked. ‘This dude cannot be a walk-on. He had to transfer in from somewhere.'”

[…]

“He's an incredible athlete,” said Sooners quarterback Landry Jones. "He kind of came out nowhere and made a name for himself in spring ball... Sometimes the five stars don't work out, and sometimes the zero stars turn out to be five stars in college.”

Perhaps most importantly, Cale Gundy, who coaches running backs and fullbacks, trusts Whaley because he “never fumbles, picks up blitzes and runs with power and speed.”

“Typically, there's not a lot of guys that show up that have the ability he has,” Gundy said. "We've always had walk-ons that have been very good players and have earned scholarships... But for someone to come in with that ability is a little unusual.”

How he fell through the cracks of recruiting services:

• “Whaley didn't attend summer camps where players get on the radar.”
• “Growing up in a military family, Whaley moved around a lot.”
• “He primarily was a slot receiver his senior year at Lawton MacArthur because OU teammate Javon Harris was the Highlanders' featured back.”