This is a panhandle deer. Whitetail/mule deer hybrid killed in 2010. I have both on my property.

He looks like s plains whitetail to me, they are big bodied. We have some hybrids up here and they usually have a very different look to them.
However, wouldn't be surprised if he was, it happens.
Did he have a foot injury?

No injury. I had a Euro done of the skull, and the guy who did it also does a lot of mule deer Euros. About 3 hours after I dropped it off, he called me to state he believed it to be a hybrid. Apparently there are subtle differences in the skulls of the two species, and this buck's skull had a lot of the mule deer characteristics he normally sees. I don't know, and I'm not qualified to make a determination. Some people get pretty animated/passionate about the hybrid discussion (there's a lot of myths and misinformation out there), so I'm not interested in participating in a debate. I don't care either way. It's just an interesting buck and certainly one I hope didn't pass on too many of those antler genes. Lord only knows if he's a hybrid or not.

I’d say he qualifies.

Some of these would be trophies on our place.