Omarion Hampton‘s rookie season did not go as planned.
The running back was set to split the running back role with Najee Harris, but he suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for 8 games last season.
Despite the limited availability, the former North Carolina Tar Heel put up impressive numbers in the action he saw for the Los Angeles Chargers. Hampton ran for 545 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Bolts, while also being a threat in the run game, hauling in 192 yards and a touchdown reception.
An NFL writer drops a bold prediction for Omarion Hampton as he enters the 2026 season completely healed and likely to be the cemented RB1.
Omarion Hampton Gets Bold Prediction
GettyThe Bolts drafted Omarion Hampton with the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Los Angeles Chargers made some big changes to the organization, but on the coaching side. LA parted ways with former offensive coordinator Greg Roman and brought in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to replace him.
Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated dropped a list of eight possible first-time Pro Bowlers, naming Omarion Hampton as one of them due to the guidance of the new OC.
“I think we can all agree that Mike McDaniel’s arrival in Los Angeles means that the Chargers are going to run the football,” Orr wrote. “I also think that McDaniel pushing for Keaton Mitchell is not necessarily a harbinger of Hampton’s declining role within the offense. Hampton caught almost 100% of his targets last year, and, at 13 touches per game, averaged nearly 4.5 yards per carry.”
“Hampton also had more rushing yards over expectation than other feature backs—Saquon Barkley, for instance—who played more of a complete season. I would find it unimaginable that Jim Harbaugh, who drafted Hampton in 2025 to fit an identity he had hoped to create, would accept from McDaniel in a job interview that this player was now obsolete in the offense.”
Hampton will now likely have the RB1 role to himself after the departure of Najee Harris and with Mitchell more likely for the pass-back role.
If the running back could get a strong training camp, he will get the majority of carries and help his breakout season.
Mike McDaniel Compares Hampton to NFL Legend
GettyThe offensive coordinator had a strong comparison for the running back
Mike McDaniel got his first look at Omarion Hampton during offseason training, with the pair getting used to each other ahead of their first training camp together.
“I like it a lot,” Hampton said of McDaniel’s scheme, via the NFL. “Really all the running backs like it a lot. Getting in the groove of it, just figuring it out, figuring out the details of it. I feel like it’s gonna be super good for us.”
After seeing the running back firsthand, Hampton revealed that he received a strong comparison from his new OC, saying that McDaniel compared the RB to NFL legend Terrell Davis.
If Omarion Hampton can get as much knowledge of Mike McDaniel’s offensive system before the start of the 2026 season, he could easily get his first Pro Bowl nod.
Chargers’ Omarion Hampton Gets Bold Prediction Ahead of Second Season