One of the best running backs in UNC history is league-bound.

Omarion Hampton was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft Thursday night. He is the first Tar Heel selected in this year’s draft.

Hampton put together two of the most prolific rushing seasons in program history in 2023 and 2024. After modest success as a freshman in 2022, Hampton exploded onto the national stage with 1,504 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns – both of which led all ACC running backs – in 13 games as a sophomore, teaming up with quarterback Drake Maye to form one of the ACC’s best offensive duos. Hampton added 29 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown. His 16 total scores were also most in the conference.

As a junior in 2024, Hampton carried the load for a UNC offense which started three different quarterbacks during the season. He once again led the conference with 1,660 rushing yards and found the end zone 17 total times (15 rushing, two receiving). His 319 total touches across rushes and receptions were the most in the ACC.

Hampton’s 3,565 career rushing yards rank fourth in UNC history, while his 36 career rushing touchdowns rank third. He is one of just nine Tar Heels ever with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. His 1,660-yard junior campaign ranks second on UNC’s single-season rushing leaderboard (just 60 yards shy of Don McCauley’s record), and his 1,504-yard sophomore season ranks third. Hampton eclipsed the 200-yard mark in a game three separate times, making him only the seventh Tar Heel to do so.

Hampton’s list of accolades runs deep: he was named first team All-ACC in both 2023 and 2024, while also finishing as one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award (given annually to the nation’s best running back) both years. The Associated Press named him a second team All-American twice, and Hampton earned first team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association in 2024.

This is the second consecutive year UNC has had a player selected in the first round of the draft, after Maye was taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the New England Patriots in 2024. It marks the first time Tar Heels have been selected in the first round of consecutive drafts since a run of four years in a row between 2011 and 2014. Hampton is the 26th Tar Heel in program history to be selected in the first round.

The 2025 NFL Draft runs through Saturday in Green Bay.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Club Hockey Facing Carolina Hurricanes Alumni Team in Exhibition
The UNC club ice hockey team is adding an unexpected opponent to its 2024-25 schedule: the Carolina Hurricanes. The retired ones, anyway. UNC announced an exhibition with the Hurricanes Alumni Team this week. The Hurricanes Alumni include Stanley Cup winners Cam Ward, Aaron Ward and Chad LaRose. The exhibition is scheduled for Friday, August 16 […]
Which Tar Heels are Going Where in the NFL? Check Out Our Full List.
Check out the full list of which UNC players are headed to the pros! NFL draftees, as well as undrafted free agents who sign contracts with pro teams, will be added to this list. RB Omarion Hampton – Los Angeles Chargers (R1, No. 22 overall) The Los Angeles Chargers made Hampton the first Tar Heel […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Wins at No. 10 Syracuse, Clinches Share of ACC Regular-Season Title
UNC held off a furious rally from No. 10 Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday afternoon and beat the Orange 14-12 in the regular-season finale. Carolina’s win clinches a share of the ACC regular-season title, which is the program’s first since 2021 and 14th overall. HEELS WIN #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/FcCrtY2rqV — UNC Men's […]
UNC Football 2025 Spring Transfer Portal Window Tracker: Arrivals
The spring window of the college football transfer portal opened Wednesday, April 16 and will close Friday, April 25. Players who intend to transfer must enter their names into the portal before the window closes, but do not need to have selected their next school by then. Here is a summary of which players have […]
Historic Power Surge Helps UNC Baseball Beat Pittsburgh in Series Opener
The Diamond Heels hit seven home runs – tied for the team’s second-most in a single game since 2000 – en route to a 15-5 win at Pittsburgh in the first game of a three-game series with the Panthers Friday night. UNC has now won six consecutive series-opening games. The Bosh Bombers 💣 go nuclear! […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats Clemson, Advances to ACC Championship
Three Tar Heels each scored hat tricks to help No. 1 UNC beat Clemson 17-7 in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Charlotte Friday and advance to Sunday’s championship game. To the final 💥 #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/PjVgHPEagw — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) April 25, 2025 Goals from Chloe Humphrey, Marissa White and others staked UNC […]
Virginia Tech Transfer Jaydon Young Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Jaydon Young, who spent the first two seasons of his career at Virginia Tech, committed to head coach Hubert Davis and UNC out of the transfer portal Friday. He will have two years of eligibility in Chapel Hill. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jaydon Young (@jaaaydonn3) A six-foot-four guard from Goldsboro, […]
Chansky's Notebook: Quiet Runner
UNC's Omarion Hampton is going to Los Angeles to play for the Chargers under run-oriented head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Here's a List of Every Transfer to Join the UNC Men's Basketball Program This Offseason (2025)
Several transfers have announced their intentions to join head coach Hubert Davis and UNC next season. Here’s a list of those incoming players: Jaydon Young – Virginia Tech Young comes to the Tar Heels following two seasons at Virginia Tech in which he appeared in 58 games and started 10. His best run of play […]
UNC RB Omarion Hampton Selected by Los Angeles Chargers in NFL Draft
One of the best running backs in UNC history is league-bound. Omarion Hampton was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft Thursday night. He is the first Tar Heel selected in this year’s draft. let’s cook, O pic.twitter.com/rB5pcczCgb — Los Angeles […]
›