How could Hampton make his case for rookie of the year even louder? Making his mark near the end zone.
Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano recently predicted his stat leaders for 2025 and had the rookie running back leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns.
Hampton, who had at least 15 touchdowns in each of his final two collegiate seasons, should get a good amount of snaps even with Najee Harris back at practice, and the analyst believes that could open up his scoring opportunities.
I’m going to roll the dice here with a rookie running back, but we can at least count on coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman to run the football at a frequent rate and not mess around near the goal line.
The Chargers didn’t spend a first-round pick on Hampton to have him split snaps with Najee Harris, who’s playing catch-up after missing all of training camp due to a fireworks mishap on the Fourth of July. I do have concerns about the Chargers losing left tackle Rashawn Slater, but the presence of Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey will prevent defenses from crowding the line of scrimmage.
Look for the Chargers to feed Hampton often, especially near the goal line.
For reference, last year’s rushing touchdown leaderboard was a three-way tie with 16 scores.
A big offensive season from the rookie running back could have his name squarely in the conversation among the league’s best newcomers.
Roman on Thursday said he can’t wait to see what Hampton has in store for his rookie year.
“He’s gotten better at everything,” Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said on Thursday. “Why? Because all he does is come into work every single day and just go to work, and work and work and work and try to get it right. It’s awesome. That mindset is awesome.
“He’s just getting better at everything. We’ll see it goes, but we’re really excited to have him,” Roman added. “I just love how he does what he does every day.”