Omarion Hampton is the Carolinas’ Football Player of the Year

Over the course of the NBA Draft in July, players from the Carolinas were barely selected. The drought was jarring considering the history of great players who cut their teeth on the basketball courts of North and South Carolina. While the region’s football history isn’t as storied as basketball, it has produced notable talents that excelled in the NFL. Like basketball, football players from the Carolinas do not appear to figure significantly in next spring’s NFL Draft. That does not mean the region is devoid of talent.

There are a handful of players on the defensive side of the ball that will draw interest early from NFL teams such as Clemson LB Barrett Carter and DL DeMonte Capehart, as well as South Carolina Edge Kyle Kinnard. Clemson was also expecting big things from QB Cade Klubnik and TE Jake Briningstool on offense. Max Johnson was poised for a big season at North Carolina after transferring from Texas A&M. All of these players are talented in their own right and with the exception of Johnson, who broke his leg in the Tar Heels first game, had fine seasons. However, none of them had enough production to be considered as the top player from the Carolinas.

Two players stood out among their peers. CB Shavon Revel, Jr of East Carolina and RB Omarion Hampton of North Carolina were the class of the Carolinas. They figure to be the first Carolina based players taken in the draft. Revel is a likely first round pick. A torn ACL suffered in practice in September has not hurt his draft stock. Hampton played all season and played spectacularly on a team that played very inconsistently. He was the bright light in a dark season that eventually cost long time Head Coach Mack Brown his job. Hampton’s production under trying circumstances makes him Draft Carolina’s Football Player of the Year.

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty’s super human numbers in 2024 will earn him a ticket to New York City and the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Jeanty will be the first running back selected in Green Bay next April. That does not diminish what Hampton has done in Chapel Hill. Among the mere mortals, Hampton’s 1,475 rushing yards places him between Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson’s 1,492 yards, and Central Florida’s R.J. Harvey’s 1,458 yards for second in the FBS leaderboard. In a year without Jeanty, Hampton would be a solid choice for Heisman consideration. Hampton was named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, along with Jeanty and Johnson, as the nation’s best running back.

Hampton is responsible for 14 of the Tar Heels’ 25 rushing touchdowns. The 14 touchdowns are 10 more than anyone else on the roster. His long touchdown was 71 yards. His 134.1 yards-per-game was over 100 yards more than Davion Gause who averaged 31.2 YPG. Hampton is not a one trick pony. His 34 receptions were tops for North Carolina and his 295 yards are fourth on the team. Even his lone receiving touchdown was impressive as it covered 49 yards. His 2024 numbers are not a fluke either. They closely match his sophomore numbers from last year of 1,504 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns and 29 receptions for 222 yards and one touchdown receiving. In his freshman season he returned seven kickoffs for 151 yards, averaging 21.6 per return. Perhaps most importantly, in the 1,164 times Hampton touched the ball in three years for the Tar Heels, he has never fumbled.

Hampton is built for the NFL with a 6’0”, 220 lbs. frame. His downhill, decisive running style will play at the next level. He is not easy to take down after initial contact and will generate additional yards in the second level. He will not be a primary read in passing situations but has demonstrated he can be capable as a check down receiver and executing wheel routes. He is a willing blocker who recognizes and picks up blitzes. He can be a team’s primary rushing workhorse and remain on the field for all three downs.

For running back needy teams that miss on drafting Jeanty, Hampton will be a nice consolation prize who will not last past round two. He is not a talent like Saquan Barkley. But who is? He will produce impressive amounts of scrimmage yards while being used in a variety of roles. To hear Brown speak of Hampton, he is a better person off the field as he is a player on it. For North Carolina fans eager to forget the tumult and tragedy of the 2024 season, Hampton’s success will give them something to positively remember the year. That is one more reason he is the Draft Carolina Carolina’s Football Player of the Year.