The UNC football team added another verbal commitment to its 2022 recruiting class of high school players on Thursday.

Running back Omarion Hampton, who stars for Cleveland High School in Clayton, announced his plans to join the Tar Heel program. A four-star recruit, according to 247Sports, he becomes the highest-rated high school senior to commit to head coach Mack Brown’s 2022 class. Hampton selected UNC over two other finalists: Florida and Penn State.

247Sports rates Hampton as the 12th-ranked running back in the nation and 144th overall player. He is also listed as the fourth best overall player in North Carolina for the Class of 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRo8wEWLdCq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

With Cleveland High, Hampton rushed for 685 yards and 13 touchdowns in just five games this spring before an ankle injury ended his junior year. As a sophomore, he totaled more than 2,400 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns.

Hampton is currently one of the only skill players in the Class of 2022 for UNC football so far. While early in the recruiting period, only four-star receiver Tychaun Chapman from Virginia and three-star quarterback Conner Harrell are the other offensive players besides lineman to commit to Carolina.

 

Photo via Jim Hawkins/InsideCarolina and 247Sports.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
‹
UNC Football Commit Omarion Hampton Named NC Player of the Year
UNC head coach Mack Brown has plenty to be excited about with his Class of 2022 recruits. Omarion Hampton, a four-star running back and Carolina commit from Clayton, N.C., was named the Gatorade North Carolina Football Player of the Year Tuesday. Just In: Cleveland RB Omarion Hampton, a UNC commit, named NC Gatorade Player of […]
Four-Star Receiver Andre Greene, Jr. Commits to UNC Football
Mack Brown has already re-written the UNC football record book with his 2022 recruiting class. But even after nabbing two five-star recruits, he wasn’t done. Wednesday night saw four-star wide receiver prospect Andre Greene, Jr. commit to Brown and the Tar Heels over finalists Georgia and Clemson. #BREAKING: 4⭐️ wide receiver Andre Greene Jr. has […]
Five-Star OL Zach Rice Commits to UNC Football; Second Top 10 Recruit in 2022 Class
One of the strongest recruiting classes in the history of the UNC football program just got a major boost. Five-star offensive lineman Zach Rice, rated by 247 Sports as the best high school offensive lineman in the country and the No. 7 player overall, committed to head coach Mack Brown and the Tar Heels Thursday […]
UNC Football Commit Sebastian Cheeks Named High School All-American
Linebacker Sebastian Cheeks, one of the highest-rated recruits in head coach Mack Brown’s loaded 2022 class, is being honored as a high school All-American. With the award, Cheeks will be able to play in the annual All-American Bowl, which will take place January 8, 2022 in San Antonio, TX. At the time of its inception […]
Four-Star Running Back George Pettaway Commits to UNC Football
Mack Brown has yet another massive win on the recruiting trail. Four-star running back and longtime UNC target George Pettaway committed to Brown and the Tar Heels Wednesday night, adding another piece to Carolina’s loaded 2022 recruiting class. He chose Carolina over finalists Penn State, Florida and Oregon. BREAKING: Four-Star RB George Pettaway has Committed […]
UNC Football Ranked No. 1?! 78 Years Ago, It Really Happened.
During the summer, I stumbled across a graphic on social media that caught my eye. It showed every program to have been ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press College Football poll, which debuted in 1936. Since then, there have been more than 1,200 polls, featuring 45 different teams in the top spot. Timeline of […]
100 Years of Kenan Stadium: 'A Tsunami of Scoring and Defense'
Chapelboro's very own Kenny Dike remembers a stunning UNC blowout win against No. 5 Florida State in Kenan Stadium in 2001.
2026 UNC Football Opponent Preview: Duke
UNC and Duke will write another chapter in the Battle for the Victory Bell Saturday in Durham. The Blue Devils are 4-1 overall and 1-1 in ACC play on the season, having suffered their first loss of the year at Georgia Tech last Saturday. Duke fell 28-25 after missing a short field goal in the […]
UNC's Xavier Lewis, Tre Miller Each Earn ACC Player of the Week Nods
Following UNC’s 21-17 win at No. 25 Pitt Saturday, Tar Heel defensive lineman Xavier Lewis and cornerback Tre Miller were each named ACC Players of the Week at their positions. 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞: Week 6 🔗 https://t.co/zIbMJdc9Kf pic.twitter.com/BK1OK9st13 — ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 12, 2026 Lewis recorded a career-high 11 tackles against the Panthers, […]
UNC Football Holds on to Beat No. 25 Pitt, Earn Belichick's First Ranked Win
Billy Edwards and Shamar Easter connected on a 75-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to give the Tar Heels a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, helping UNC beat No. 25 Pitt on the road Saturday afternoon. It’s Carolina’s first ranked win under head coach Bill Belichick, and the program’s first ranked win on the […]
›