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North Carolina football's Omarion Hampton is the first Tar Heel running back in 40 years to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hampton was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 22 overall pick on April 24 in Green Bay. For the first time in program history, UNC has had first-round picks in consecutive years.
The 6-foot, 221-pound running back was among the nation's top playmakers in his final two seasons at UNC. During his time with the Tar Heels, Hampton posted back-to-back seasons with more than 1,500 yards. He averaged 138.3 yards per game in 2024, second only to Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty. Hampton’s 2,033 all-purpose yards were third among FBS players.
NFL DRAFT ANALYSIS: NFL draft picks 2025: Live tracker, analysis for every selection in first round
BIG O: Omarion Hampton's high school coach gives insight on UNC running back, future NFL Draft pick
It's an A for the Chargers.
It's the perfect fit for Hampton, who joins Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman in a system that is built on running the football and dominating at the line of scrimmage.
Omarion Hampton played at North Carolina for three seasons, spending two of those as an All-ACC running back.
Hampton had a career-high 244 rushing yards in UNC's win against Wake Forest during the 2024 season. With 1,660 rushing yards, Hampton led the ACC and was second nationally. He was tied for first with 15 rushing touchdowns. He had 10 games with 100 or more rushing yards.
Hampton totaled 3,565 rushing yards and 36 rushing TDs in three seasons with the Tar Heels. He also caught 73 passes for 635 receiving yards and four TDs.
Hampton is a 6-foot, 221-pound running back.
Hampton ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the NFL Combine in February. His 10-yard split was 1.54 seconds, his vertical jump was 38" and his broad jump was 10 feet, 10 inches. Hampton's 20-yard shuttle time was 4.4 seconds and he had 18 reps on the bench press.
Omarion Hampton played at Cleveland High School in Clayton. His No. 28 jersey is retired. Hampton set school records for rushing yards (2,042) and rushing touchdowns in a season (39), as well as career TDs (89). He also broke every weightlifting record for running backs and linebackers, including bench press (405 pounds), squat (565 lbs), hang clean (370 lbs) and incline bench press (325 lbs).
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Omarion Hampton draft: Chargers pick UNC RB in NFL draft first round
Continue reading...
Hampton was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 22 overall pick on April 24 in Green Bay. For the first time in program history, UNC has had first-round picks in consecutive years.
The 6-foot, 221-pound running back was among the nation's top playmakers in his final two seasons at UNC. During his time with the Tar Heels, Hampton posted back-to-back seasons with more than 1,500 yards. He averaged 138.3 yards per game in 2024, second only to Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty. Hampton’s 2,033 all-purpose yards were third among FBS players.
NFL DRAFT ANALYSIS: NFL draft picks 2025: Live tracker, analysis for every selection in first round
BIG O: Omarion Hampton's high school coach gives insight on UNC running back, future NFL Draft pick
Omarion Hampton draft grade
It's an A for the Chargers.
Does Omarion Hampton fit Los Angeles Chargers needs?
It's the perfect fit for Hampton, who joins Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman in a system that is built on running the football and dominating at the line of scrimmage.
Where did Omarion Hampton play in college?
Omarion Hampton played at North Carolina for three seasons, spending two of those as an All-ACC running back.
Omarion Hampton highlights
Hampton had a career-high 244 rushing yards in UNC's win against Wake Forest during the 2024 season. With 1,660 rushing yards, Hampton led the ACC and was second nationally. He was tied for first with 15 rushing touchdowns. He had 10 games with 100 or more rushing yards.
Omarion Hampton stats
Hampton totaled 3,565 rushing yards and 36 rushing TDs in three seasons with the Tar Heels. He also caught 73 passes for 635 receiving yards and four TDs.
Omarion Hampton height, weight
Hampton is a 6-foot, 221-pound running back.
Omarion Hampton combine results
Hampton ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the NFL Combine in February. His 10-yard split was 1.54 seconds, his vertical jump was 38" and his broad jump was 10 feet, 10 inches. Hampton's 20-yard shuttle time was 4.4 seconds and he had 18 reps on the bench press.
Omarion Hampton high school
Omarion Hampton played at Cleveland High School in Clayton. His No. 28 jersey is retired. Hampton set school records for rushing yards (2,042) and rushing touchdowns in a season (39), as well as career TDs (89). He also broke every weightlifting record for running backs and linebackers, including bench press (405 pounds), squat (565 lbs), hang clean (370 lbs) and incline bench press (325 lbs).
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Omarion Hampton draft: Chargers pick UNC RB in NFL draft first round
Continue reading...
