UNC Football: Omarion Hampton Named Doak Walker Award Semifinalist

Hampton would become the first UNC football player to win this award, given annually to the top running back in college football.

Omarion Hampton, the UNC football program’s star running back was announced as a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, an honor given annually to the top running back in college football.

Ten running backs were named as semifinalists and Hampton is the only running back that was selected from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Hampton has already been honored once this season by the Doak Walker National Selection Committee when he was named the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week for his September 9th performance against Appalachian State. In that game, Hampton rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns, as that was essentially his “breakout performance” of the 2023 season.

This season, Hampton has boasted an impressive 6.3 yards per attempt, and his 1,414 rushing yards are tied with fellow semifinalist Ollie Gordon II from Oklahoma State for the most in college football. Hampton will finish the regular season against NC State’s defense this Saturday, a unit that has allowed the 16th fewest rush yards per game in FBS (102.5), while Gordon II will have a relatively easier go of it, finishing the season against BYU’s 110th-ranked rush defense (177.3 YPG).

It will be a slog for Hampton to keep pace with Gordon II, who has been named Doak Walker Running Back of the Week an impressive three times this season. Regardless of Gordon II’s pace on Saturday, Hampton will have the opportunity to pass Elijah Hood for the second-most rushing yards in a season in Tar Heel history. Hood rushed for 1,463 yards in 2015, meaning Hampton only needs 49 rush yards to match his record.

Three finalists from this group of ten will be selected and named on Tuesday, November 28th and the winner will be announced live on ESPN on December 8th during The Home Depot College Football Awards. Hampton would be the first ever UNC football player to win the award.

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