Scouting Profile: Omarion Hampton - RB - North Carolina
Sales Pitch: Explosive powerful runner with true workhorse ability. Improvements as a pass protector have elevated his game to being 3-down difference maker.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Omarion Hampton is a former 4-Star from the state of North Carolina. In addition to football, he also lettered in Basketball and Track & Field in high school. Hampton was the lead back for the Tar Heels the past two seasons, finishing with 1,500 yards in each campaign, and compiling a litany of awards including All-Conference and All-American honors, as well as two Doak Walker Finalist appearances.
Hampton is a well-round athlete with a thick powerful body. He has shown over the past two seasons the ability to carry the bulk of an offenses’ workload. He is a hardnosed north-south runner, who doesn’t shy away from contact. Hampton has the vision to play in a variety of schemes, but projects best to a gap/man rushing attack. He has quick feet and excellent instincts in traffic. He has an innate ability to find narrow gaps between blockers and squeeze through them. Hampton has good burst for a back of his size. He is quick to accelerate to top speed through the hole and has deceptive burst to separate at the 2nd level or to get the edge. Hampton’s defining trait is his contact balance. He has a densely built upper half with good bend that allows him to absorb contact from tacklers and keep his feet. His tough running style with constant leg drive, results in multiple plays a game where he bounces off defenders and drags them for extra yards. His downhill tilt and natural forward lean allow him to finish plays falling forward, making him an excellent short yardage back. Hampton took a big step forward in 2024 in terms of third down impact. He was always a sure handed checkdown option with the ability to generate yards after the catch, but his blocking skills took a leap during his junior season. Hampton shows good ID skills to pick up free runners when in pass protection. He brings the fight to defenders in the same manner he does as a runner, setting deep pockets for his quarterback. His powerful lower half and natural core flexibility allow him to take on contact and hold his ground.
Hampton is a good athlete but lacks the top end speed seen from the upper echelon backs. The lack of an elite gear will limit his ability to generate homeruns consistently at the next level. It also means he doesn’t project to be a game changer as a receiver, who can be split out wide to attack mismatches. Hampton is a good gap and zone runner, but his physical profiles does project better to the former. On outside zone concepts Hampton doesn’t always set up and find cutback lanes. He is often too quick to get north-south and leaves bigger gains on the field he could have accessed if he displayed a tad more patience. Outside zone runs are also the easiest way to negate his contact balance. If defenders can get contact on his legs before his speed is up, he is closer to an above average tackle breaker than elite.
Hampton profiles best three-down workhorse back in a gap scheme. His power, burst and contact balance are all NFL ready. In a deeper class it’s hard to pin down his exact projection but the tape is first round caliber, which means his range should start sometime in the early 20’s.