For good reason, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty has been the face of the 2025 NFL Draft running back class. He’s garnering all the first-round buzz, topics of discussion, and profiles. However, there’s a rich talent pool in this class, and there’s a back in this class that more people need to be talking about. He finished second in the country in rushing yards with 1,660 yards and 10th in touchdowns with 15. Plus, about 73% of his yards came AFTER contact, finishing second in the country to Jeanty.
North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton played behind one of the worst offensive lines among the top running backs in this class, and time after time, he found a way to make it work.
Omarion Hampton now has authored the second- and third-best rushing seasons in UNC football history: 1,504 yards last season and 1,660 yards this season. He’s up to fourth all-time at UNC with 3,565 career yards. https://t.co/ItJU4oDa40
— Adam Smith (@adam_smith_IC) December 1, 2024
Listed at 6-foot and 220 pounds, Hampton is the prototype build of an NFL running back with a strong, muscle-bound lower half that he knows precisely how to use, grinding out tough yards and dragging defenders for extra ones. With back-to-back impressive seasons at North Carolina, Hampton has established himself as one of the best backs in the country, but when watching his game against NC State, he was even more impressive than last year.
After Hampton gashed NC State for 263 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort, I saw a back with the burst, explosive movement, speed, and receiving ability to be a true workhorse-type back at the next level. Already showing consistent tackle-breaking ability, adding some tools to his toolbox will only benefit him as he continues to grow as a player. The 21-year-old broke out as a true sophomore with Drake Maye at the helm of the offense and hasn’t slowed down.
Hampton is a scheme-versatile back running outside zone from shotgun, and the line does enough to spring him into space on the right side. Watch how he rotates his hips while accelerating to make the first tackler miss, and when he gets into space, he’s quick to recognize where and when to use his stiff arm. Shrugging off another tackler, he tip-toes down the sideline, going out of bounds. Even though he stepped out before he meant to, he showed great sideline feel and body control to make that happen.
How he accelerates into space and can still string moves together to make tacklers miss is impressive. His feel for space and knowing exactly what to do when defenders are present is top-tier, and it perfectly rounds out his physical playstyle. I think he’s faster than he gets credit for, and on a breakaway run, you can feel his speed.
Finding the right lane is always paramount for running backs, and because he’s become more patient at the line of scrimmage, pressing holes and waiting for lanes to appear, defenders can over-pursue their run fits. NC State was crashing down inside with its defensive line against the run and filling around the edge with aggressive play from the second and third levels of defense. The play-side 5-tech initially attacks inside but sees the run come his way, so he throws himself back into the play-side C gap. The safety and middle linebacker come downhill to fit the C gap, recognizing the puller and Hampton. That puts three defenders in the same gap, and Hampton cuts up through the B gap on a breakaway.
It’s a simple read for Hampton, but he shows his top gear when he explodes through a gap like that. The explosive movements, curvilinear acceleration (accelerating through a curved path), and top speed showcased by Hampton give him even more ways to win than with his vision and strong lower half.
While he isn’t used as a wide receiver often, Hampton has the tools to create separation through quick movements and decision-making. His receiving totals rose from 29 catches and 222 yards in 2023 to 39 catches and 373 yards this season. On the end zone angle, you can see the horizontal separation he creates, but focus on the route from the outside angle. It’s not the smoothest, but he works into the defender and uses his hands to work across his body to get open. He’s a better weapon out of the backfield and can use the tools already discussed to create easy yards for the offense.
Coming into 2024, Hampton was on my radar, and you can watch the film room I did of him before the season here. But he’s shown more explosiveness in his short-area movements and overall athletic ability to match his insane contact balance…
That leaves me more impressed with him as a runner this year than I was coming into the season. He led the ACC in rush attempts, yards, touchdowns, and total plays this year, and while the comp for him isn’t set in stone, he reminds me of a slightly faster Ezekiel Elliott. The balance, lateral agility, physicality, and nose for the end zone all show up and make him one of the best backs in the country. Most people have given Jeanty the title of “RB1” in the class, but I’m here to say that Hampton is much closer than anyone wants to admit.
