Six former Tar Heels have been invited to the 2025 NFL Combine that will take place in Indianapolis from February 24 to March 3, the league announced Thursday afternoon.
It breaks down to two offensive and four defensive players from a North Carolina team that finished 6-7 overall and 3-5 in the ACC.
Here is the list:
Note: Positions are as listed by the NFL.
Omarion Hampton, Running Back
Hampton ran for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns this past season averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. He also caught 38 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns giving him 17 scores for the season.
His total for this past season is second all-time at UNC, and Hampton’s 1,504 yards in 2023 are the third most in a season at Carolina.
Hampton finished his career as North Carolina’s fourth all-time leading rusher with 3,565 yards. He scored 36 rushing TDs and caught 73 passes for 635 yards and 4 more TDs.
Bryson Nesbit, Tight End
Nesbit played in just seven games this past season after suffering an injury in October. He is expected to be at full strength for the combine.
In his limited play last fall, Nesbit caught 24 passes for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns. In his career, Nesbit caught 107 passes for 1,510 yards with 13 touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 2022.
Jahvaree Ritzie, Defensive Line
Ritzie had the best season of his UNC career this past fall. His 40 tackles were eight fewer than in 2022, but he had 7 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and returned an interception for a touchdown.
For his career, Ritzie was in on 138 tackles, 12 TFLs, 9.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and an interception returned for a touchdown.
Kaimon Rucker, Defensive Line
Rucker battled a knee injury this past season limiting him to eight games, a few of which he played just a handful of snaps as the coaching staff cautiously worked him into the lineup. Rucker finished the campaign with 30 tackles, 8 TFLs, 6.0 sacks, an interception, and a pass deflection.
In 2023, he had 61 tackles, 15 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, a pass deflection, forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. For his UNC career, Rucker totaled 180 tackles, 39 TFLs, 22.0 sacks, 3 pass deflections, an interception, a fumble recovery, and 4 forced fumbles.
Rucker is sixth all-time at Carolina in sacks.
Power Echols, Linebacker
A three-year starter, Echols closed out his Carolina career registering 76 tackles, 2 TFLs, a half sack, an interception returned for a touchdown, 6 pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.
Echols registered 103 tackles in 2023 and 2022, and for his career finished with 307 tackles, 14 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 4 interceptions (one each season), one pick six, 9 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and 3 forced fumbles.
Alijah Huzzie, Defensive Back
In two seasons at UNC after transferring from East Tennessee State, Huzzie was in on 82 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 4 interceptions, 14 pass deflections, and was targeted 110 times allowing 57 catches for 639 yards, 3 TDs, with 12 PBUs.
In five college seasons, Huzzie had 232 tackles, 16 interceptions, 38 PBUs, was targeted 338 times allowing 203 catches for 2,391 yards and 12 TDs.
The NFL Draft runs from April 24-26.