Chargers RB Omarion Hampton Believes Mike McDaniel’s Scheme Will Unlock the Backfield

Omarion Hampton is loving the new schemes OC Mike McDaniel has introduced him in year two.

Chargers RB Omarion Hampton Believes Mike McDaniel’s Scheme Will Unlock the Backfield

Omarion Hampton (Image via IMAGO)

Omarion Hampton is enjoying learning from new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Hampton is itching for year two to start.

The Los Angeles Chargers hired McDaniel early in the offseason as the team’s new OC. He’s tasked with not only unlocking quarterback Justin Herbert’s full potential but also reinvigorating the Chargers’ backline.

Hampton is already feeling the effects of the changes made by McDaniel. The new schemes are designed to maximize his skill set on the field.

All the running backs like it a lot…it’s gonna be super good for us. It’s just fun to learn new stuff and see how it goes. It’s something not a lot of teams do.

Omarion Hampton said via Alex Insdorf of the Chargers media

The Chargers drafted Hampton 22nd overall in the 2025-26 NFL Draft. He was the second running back drafted after Ashton Jeanty at 6th overall (the Las Vegas Raiders).

Injuries limited his appearances to just 9 games. He racked up 124 carries for 545 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. He further caught 32 passes for 192 yards and scored one touchdown.

Hampton played his best football against the New York Giants in Week Four. He rushed 12 times for 128 yards and scored one touchdown, while also catching five passes for 37 yards and one touchdown.

In the week five defeat to the Washington Commanders, the 23-year-old suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the next two games.

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Mike McDaniel compared Omarion Hampton to a legendary NFL running back

McDaniel is famous as an offensive guru. He’s part of the Mike Shanahan tree of coaches along with Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Dan Quinn, and many more.

Chargers RB Omarion Hampton Believes Mike McDaniel’s Scheme Will Unlock the Backfield
Omarion Hampton (Image via IMAGO)

The Dolphins appointed McDaniel as their head coach in 2022. He quickly turned the Dolphins’ offense into one of the best in the league. They made consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since the 2000s. He was fired after back-to-back losing campaigns.

That being said, the Dolphins boasted a serious running back room that racked up over 8,000 rushing yards over his four seasons and ranked fifth in the NFL with 4.6 yards per carry over that stretch.

The Chargers quickly picked him up before any other team. Hampton seems to be loving the ideas he has introduced into their training. According to him, McDaniel compared him to legendary Denver Broncos RB Terrell Davis.

Despite being physically smaller than Hampton, Davis could hold his own against big guys. He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos. During the 1998 run, Davis rushed for 2008 yards and scored 21 touchdowns in 16 games. He was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and was a semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hampton revealed that he has seen a few clips of Davis.

The Chargers have the ninth-toughest schedule for the 2026 season. The combined win rate of the teams they are facing is 151-138-0 or 0.522.

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