Omarion Hampton prepares fo By RANDY CAPPS
CLAYTON — Omarion Hampton’s numbers are eye popping. He’s rushed for more than 3,400 yards and 49 touchdowns in his three years at Cleveland High and in the process, became one of the most sought after recruits in the country. He’s also a little over 6 feet tall, weighs about 215 pounds and runs with a rare combination of speed, agility and power. Because of all that, he’s a four-star recruit, according to 247Sports, the fifthrated player in North Carolina in the Class of 2022 and the 11th-best running back in the nation. Many times in that situation, players will wait until much closer to National Signing Day in February to make that choice — choosing a hat off a table as ESPN’s cameras watch on. Hampton, after official visits to Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, Penn State and North Carolina, made his choice on July 23 (after this edition went to press). “I feel like I already found where I wanted to go after talking with my family,” he said. “(The recruiting process) has been real good. I got to learn a lot. It was good to get out there on the campuses. It was a good learning experience.” If you talk with him for a few minutes, you’ll hear about his mother, Leslie Hampton, his father, Cory Chappell and his brother, Jamal. You’ll also hear about his teammates and his school. What you won’t hear much of is him talking about himself, which doesn’t surprise his coach, Scott Riley. “He’s an unbelievable football player,” he said. “A great leader and a great young man, too. That’s what is kind of remarkable about him. He’s always got those physical talents, but he puts a lot of work into it as well. He’s really humble, so it’s a total package deal with him. He’s 20 | [ JOHNSTON NOW ]
Omarion Hampton tries to break a tackle during a game against Clayton. Photo courtesy of We Journal Great Sports.
