CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina’s running back room includes perhaps the top player at that position in the nation in Omarion Hampton. But there’s more to Larry Porter’s group than just the returning All-America.
Porter met with the media following UNC’s scrimmage Saturday that closed out fall camp to discuss his running back room. Many of the questions were about Hampton, but quite a few were about the other Tar Heels that may see the field.
Above is video of Porter’s Q&A session, and below are some notes and quotes from what he had to say:
*Omarion Hampton was first-team All-ACC last season and made most All-America teams. He ran for 1,504 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns. Porter was asked what sticks out to him about the way Hampton plays.
“He’s fluid, he’s athletic, good ball skills, good feet. I think he’s a caring teammate. He’s worked his butt off since he’s been here, he’s improved, and we’re excited to have him.”
*When recruiting Omarion Hampton, Porter said he could see an NFL future in him, and that’s what made the difference in UNC going full throttle after him.
“It came down to Omarion and another young man, and I was talking to Coach Brown, and I just told him I think difference between him and Omarion is Omarion is an NFL running back, the other kid is more a system running back.”
*Mack Brown has said multiple times since practice started that a healthy Caleb Hood is a very good player, but the issue is he hasn’t had sustained good health during his time at UNC. So, in Porter’s eyes, what does a healthy Caleb Hood for 12 games look like for the Tar Heels?
“He would be someone we would be excited to have. A healthy Caleb Hood help you beat Duke, help you beat Wake, help you beat Miami. So, he’s had some experience in helping us win games around here. If we can keep him healthy, he can definitely help us.”
*USC transfer Darwin Barlow has one season left, and with last season not going like he expected, Barlow had a tough time working through it. And now that he’s at UNC, Barlow said two weeks ago he is having a great time at UNC and feels like a weight was lifted. Porter discussed that and where Barlow is now in his Carolina process.
“The first thing you have to figure out is why, why wasn’t he as successful as I would maybe think he could be. And then once you can figure that out, you try to embrace that and bring that out of him.
“But also, there’s a standard here in our running back room that he has to embrace as well. And I think both have kind of come together and meshed. And now you’re starting to begin to see what he’s truly capable of.”
*The general belief is UNC will be more ball-control and run-oriented on offense this season with Drake Maye gone and Hampton back. The staff has made clear they want to run the ball conventionally and do it a lot, but they have in past years, too. UNC has had a thousand-yard rusher in four of Brown’s five seasons back, with two hitting the mark in 2020, and a second almost doing it the season before.
So yes, the Heels will be run-oriented, but there’s an understanding that defenses will be prepared for that approach.
“For one, everyone is aware of Omarion and his talents. So, I think there will be a concerted effort to try to minimize that. So, I still think offensively, we have to have some sort of balance to keep defenses off balance and put ourselves in the best position to best utilize Omarion as well as some of the other guys in that room to help our offense be successful.”
*When we spoke with Hampton last month at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, he said he wants to rush for 2,000 yards and strongly believes it can happen. Porter was asked if he’d heard about Hampton’s remarks.
“I heard that, and I embrace the aggressive thoughts about him. So, if it’s not 2,000 and it’s 1,700, I think we all will be okay with that. (laughter)”
*Hampton got around 20 snaps (out of 80) in the scrimmage Saturday, Porter said, so how did the rotation play out behind him?
“Then I tried to balance it out to where Bullet (Davion Gause) and Barlow got anywhere from 15-to-20 apiece, and then the other guys kind of got the rest.”
*Gause is a true freshman who played well in the spring, and from all accounts, will be in the rotation next week at Minnesota.
“Bullet has done a phenomenal job. Being as young as he is, and to be as mature as he is, and as sharp and smart as he is, and to have a fall camp to where he really didn’t experience many bad days, and he didn’t hit a wall is pretty impressive.”
*Gause told us in January he was especially proud of his ability to pass block, citing his high school’s pass-heavy offense as why he had so much experience with it. UNC Offensive Coordinator Chip Lindsey said last week Gause might be Carolina’s best pass-blocking running back. Porter discussed how rare it is a freshman RB can pass pro so well.
“It’s extremely rare and he is good. By the same token, throughout high school, he was put in a position to where he had to block defensive ends, but not just defensive ends, you’ve got guys that were going to Florida State, Miami, and Florida, all these national programs. And he had to fit up on them every single week. So, when he got here, that was not new to him.”
