Why UNC football RB Omarion Hampton could be Tar Heels’ not-so-silent star this season

In some ways, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton is the ACC’s silent star.

A year ago, UNC quarterback Drake Maye got so much of the attention, nationally and within the league. Certainly most of the hype.

Maye, linebacker Cedric Gray, wide receiver J.J. Jones and others did much of the talking to the media during the Tar Heels season.

Hampton? The running back from Clayton just piled up 100-yard rushing games, scored touchdowns, kept his head down and quietly went about his business.

Jones said Hampton was a man of few words, offering up one-word replies to most everything. UNC coach Mack Brown said much the same, noting that a nod from Hampton sometimes would do it.

But there Hampton was Thursday at the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff at the Hilton, in suit, tie and “28” pendant, facing off with wave after wave of media. That included his teammate, Jones, who was a roving “reporter” — with a UNC camera man with him — at Thursday’s sessions.

“I’m going to enjoy it,” Hampton said before the session began. “It’s good to get out of my circle. I know I’ll have to do it a lot more. I need to get used to these kinds of conversations, interviews, stuff like that.

“That’s something I wanted to take a big step in during the offseason, being a better communicator and better at interviews. That was one of my focus points, to start speaking up more.”

And after the Kickoff media session?

“I thought it went well,” Hampton said, smiling.

So did Jones, who quipped, “I got 15 words out of him, and that hasn’t happened before. Fifteen words!”

One tidbit Hampton dropped into one of his answers was that he might set a goal of rushing for 2,000 yards this season for the Heels.

“I do think it’s possible,” he said.

Hampton had 1,504 yards as a sophomore last year, fifth best in the FBS, while scoring 15 rushing touchdowns. He was named a second-team All-America by the AP and was a first-team All-ACC selection.

Yes, Hampton wants to be a bigger threat catching the ball — he had 29 receptions for 222 yards in 2023. But running is what the 6-foot, 230-pound back does best, and he will be the Tar Heels’ No. 1 option — not Maye looking to throw — this season.

But 2,000 yards?

“I would say that’s an attainable goal for him,” UNC linebacker Power Echols said. “I think he’s the best back in the nation, bar none.

“If he’s not well-known nationally, he’s going to be. The way he works … it’s every day for him.”

‘Never liked being the center of attention’

Scott Riley coached Hampton at Cleveland High in Clayton and grew accustomed to being astounded.

“I mean, he averaged close to 12 yards a carry in high school, so nearly everything he did on the field was impressive,” Riley said this week. “He never liked to be the center of attention but his play made him that way.”

But there was one day, Riley said, when Hampton did something without the football that won’t be forgotten — “One of those superhuman stories that live on,” Riley said.

First, there was Hampton impressing everyone in the weight room.

“When he was a sophomore, he set the school record in squat with 560 (pounds),” Riley said. “He bent the (weight) bar.”

Later that day Hampton was at a track meet and lined up for the 100-yard dash.

“He comes exploding out of the starting blocks so hard he bent the metal back in one of the blocks,” Riley said. “He falls, he barrel rolls twice, gets back up and sprints to the end. He came in second, even after rolling around on the ground, still finished second to a guy who runs track at N.C. State.”

So Hampton bent metal at two different sites? Riley laughed.

“I told him, ‘Man, you’re getting expensive, but we’ll take it,’” he joked.

In truth, Riley said, there were no complaints about a young man with an intense work ethic, with that desire to improve, get stronger, get better — bent bars and all.

“We talk to our kids every day about showing up every day and working really hard,” Riley said. “When he was here, you would think he was fourth-string running back on our team and fighting for playing time with the way he attacked the weight room and practiced.”

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Riley said he was warned by county officials that no school football practices were being permitted. Knowing there were none at Cleveland, he checked it out.

“Omarion and other senior leaders went out there on their own and had organized their own workouts,” Riley said.

‘Always a Carolina fan’

After his senior season, Hampton received almost every prep award worth having, including being named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state. A four-star recruit, ESPN’s rankings had him the No. 3 player in the state and the No. 15 running back nationally.

“Not many can bench 400 pounds and run a 4.4,” Riley said.

But Hampton’s recruitment was short and not suspenseful, Riley said.

“He was always a Carolina fan,” he said.

Now, he’s Carolina’s featured running back. Maye liked to call Hampton the “Big O” and that seems to fit well.

Last season, the Tar Heels adopted an offensive slogan – “Run the damn ball.” They had hats with it, T-shirts. Hampton had 234 yards in an early game against Appalachian State and 178 late in the season at Clemson.

There were times the Heels went away from it, Hampton getting five second-half carries in one game, a loss.. He had 28 yards on nine carries in losing to rival N.C. State to close the season as UNC quickly fell behind the Wolfpack, then 62 yards in the loss to West Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl as UNC finished 8-5 after a 6-0 start.

Hampton should get his fill this season, especially with the Heels testing out quarterbacks. When in doubt, as Maye would say, just feed No. 28, the Big O.