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NFL Draft 2025: North Carolina stud Omarion Hampton picked No. 22 overall in Round 1
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For the second consecutive season, North Carolina has seen one of its players drafted in the opening round of the NFL Draft.
On Thursday night, running back Omarion Hampton was taken with the 23rd overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2025 NFL Draft. Hampton becomes the Tar Heels’ 26th first-round pick all time. He joins Drake Maye, last year’s third overall selection, as the program’s only first-round picks since Mitch Trubisky went second overall in 2017.
Hampton also becomes the highest-drafted running back for North Carolina since Ethan Horton in 1985.
The 6-foot, 221-pound junior was a 2-year starter for North Carolina and one of the most prominently featured tailbacks in the country. He led the ACC in rushing in 2023 while sharing a backfield with Maye, then he did so again in 2024 with far less consistency from the passing game.
Hampton was a Doak Walker Award finalist and first-team All-American while at Carolina. He was also a first-team All-ACC selection in 2023 and in 2024.
Last season, Hampton ran for 1,660 yards and 15 scores for the Tar Heels while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He topped 100 yards on the ground in 10 of 12 games and set a single-season program record with 2,033 all-purpose yards. Despite playing in just 12 games, Hampton finished third in the country in rushing.
He also ran for 15 scores in 2023.
Hampton ended his career in Chapel Hill with 3,565 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 635 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns through the air.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
