Tag: Willie Lampkin

Two UNC football stars make ESPN’s list for Top 100 players of 2024-2025 season

Where did ESPN rank Omarion Hampton and Willie Lampkin on its Top-100 list?

We knew the North Carolina Tar Heels would experience growing pains during the 2024 college football season, as they had to replace several talented starters from a year ago, most notably Drake Maye and Tez Walker.

UNC endured a 6-7 season, which ended with three straight losses and a disappointing showing in the Fenway Bowl. North Carolina switched between Max Johnson, Conner Harrell and Jacolby Criswell at quarterback, while dealing with constant injuries along its offensive line.

There were two Tar Heels, however, who shined through in an overall supbar year: star running back Omarion Hampton and guard Willie Lampkin.

In ESPN’s ranking of the Top 100 players from the 2024-2025 college football season, Hampton landed at 21st and Lampkin was 98th.

Check out what ESPN had to say about Hampton, who declared for the NFL Draft in December:

“In any year that didn’t include Ashton Jeanty, Hampton’s production would’ve been considered a triumph. Despite North Carolina’s offense being in tatters for much of the season — including starting three different QBs — he was a star from the outset. After rushing for 1,500 yards in 2023, Hampton somehow improved on that tally without Drake Maye in the backfield with him in 2024. He finished the season with 1,660 rushing yards, the third most nationally, and was one of just three players in the country to finish with more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage.”

Here’s what ESPN said about Lampkin’s final year in Chapel Hill:

“The winner of the ACC’s top blocking award, Lampkin hardly looks the part of a star in the trenches, but he plays like a giant. Lampkin — 5-11, 290 pounds — arrived at UNC as a transfer from Coastal Carolina, and former head coach Mack Brown even admitted he doubted Lampkin could hold up against the bigger, stronger competition in the ACC. Not only did Lampkin hold his own, he thrived. Over 816 snaps at right guard, Lampkin allowed just three pressures and had just four blown run blocks, paving the way for a UNC offense that rushed for 182 yards per game and helped Omarion Hampton to become a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.”

It’ll be weird not watching Hampton don the Carolina Blue in 2025. Same goes for Lampkin. I’m hoping both find great homes in the NFL and we’ll be able to watch them on Sundays.

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UNC offensive lineman the only Tar Heels’ representative on ESPN’s All-America teams

ESPN All-America teams featured one standout Tar Heel among the ranks of college football’s best players!

The UNC football program endured a rough season in 2024. In the end, it finished with a 6-6 record overall and a bowl-game loss to UConn. Through all the turmoil, one player stood out among many who took the field for Mack Brown at Chapel Hill.

ESPN released its list of All-America teams (first and second), and the list featured standout offensive lineman Willie Lampkin, the recipient of the 2024 Jacobs Blocking Trophy award.

The stellar guard joins the ranks of the best in college football making ESPN’s second-team All-American honors behind Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson and Alabama guard Tyler Booker.

Lampkin, who was a senior and has officially exhausted his college football eligibility, played and started in 12 games last season, seeing a total of 851 snaps on offense, a snap count higher than any other player on the roster last season.

Lampkin was a three-star recruit out of high school, committing to Coastal Carolina. He entered the transfer portal between his junior and senior years as a three-star transfer before making his way to Chapel Hill for two more seasons after finishing as a PFF All-Sun Belt first-team member.

He also earned first-team All-ACC honors, and AP All-American first-team honors this season as well. Lampkin will leave a huge hole on the offensive line that Bill Belichick will need to fill going into 2025.

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UNC starting offensive lineman makes last-minute decision to opt out of Fenway Bowl

North Carolina will be without a starting offensive lineman in Saturday’s Fenway Bowl.

Unless you’re playing in the College Football Playoff, bowl games can feel like glorified scrimmages.

The truth is, bowl games are more than that. Particularly for programs who barely reached the 6-win mark, like UNC, winning bowl games are high notes to finish on.

North Carolina will take on the UConn Huskies Saturday, December 28 in the Fenway Bowl from Boston, Mass. If the bowl name sounds familiar, it’s because the Tar Heels (6-6) will be playing on the field of historic Fenway Park.

Several UNC starters have already opted out, most notably running back Omarion Hampton, who recently declared for the NFL draft. We can add to the list of opt-outs – just hours before North Carolina takes the field.

On Friday, December 27, InsideCarolina’s Adam Smith reported that starting guard Willie Lampkin opted out of the Fenway Bowl.

Lampkin joins defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie, edge rusher Power Echols and starting safety Stick Lane as Fenway Bowl opt-outs.

Lampkin started eight games for the Tar Heels during the 2024 regular season, his final year of college eligibility. Lampkin’s best (and first) season in a UNC uniform came during 2023, when he started all 11 games and earned Third-Team All-ACC honors.

The decision for Lampkin to withdraw – less than 24 hours from kickoff – leaves North Carolina with a gaping hole on its offensive line. The Tar Heels’ official depth chart lists former 5-star recruit Zach Rice as Lampkin’s backup, giving Rice a golden opportunity to win the starting job for 2025.

Lampkin dealt with injuries previously this month, but he hasn’t declared for the NFL Draft yet.

Regardless of Lampkin’s decision to withdraw from the Fenway Bowl, UNC will miss him on Saturday.

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Two UNC football players earn AP All-American honors

Two UNC football players earn AP All-American honors.

The 2024 college football season didn’t go as planned for the North Carolina Tar Heels. They hit a big roadblock early, and then after winning some games to get bowl-eligible, they closed out their schedule with two tough losses to Boston College and NC State.

But there were some bright spots for the Tar Heels in this season. And both were on the offense.

On Monday, offensive lineman Willie Lampkin and running back Omarion Hampton were named to the Associated Press All-American team. They are the lone two UNC players to be named to the team this season.

Lampkin earned first-team honors for his play this season at guard, being North Carolina’s top offensive lineman. Hampton earned second-team honors after another huge year including rushing for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year.

Hampton declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, ending his career at UNC after three season. He racked up the awards in his career and will finish with some national honors.

For Lampkin, he transferred to North Carolina after playing at Coastal Carolina and recently won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy earlier this month.

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Which UNC offensive lineman earned a Midseason All-American nod?

Willie Lampkin seems to be the only consistently healthy UNC offensive lineman. He was just rewarded for his consistency with a Midseason award.

Offensive line, typically a strength for the North Carolina Tar Heels‘ football program in past years, is a glaring weakness in 2024.

UNC has rotated through an inexperienced offensive line through seven games – not due to struggles, but numerous injuries. North Carolina has three underclassmen starting on its offensive line: Aidan Banfield, Howard Sampson and Treyvon Green. The Tar Heels have Georgia transfer Austin Blaske starting at center, but despite being a graduate student, Blaske is a first-year starter this season.

There’s one guy, right guard Willie Lampkin, who is proving to be a much-needed consistent presence on North Carolina’s offensive line.

Just past the halfway point of UNC’s 2024 campaign, Lampkin was recently named a Sporting News Midseason All-American.

Lampkin is just one of three ACC football players on the list, alongside Heisman Trophy favorite Cam Ward, the Miami (FL) quarterback and Desmond Reid, Pitt’s running back who torched the Tar Heels for over 200 scrimmage yards and a touchdown two weeks ago.

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Lampkin is also the lone ACC lineman on Sporting News’ Midseason All-American list. Other lineman include Texas‘ Kelvin Banks Jr., Army’s Paolo Gennarelli, Ohio State’s Seth McLaughlin and LSU‘s Will Campbell.

Lampkin spent the first three seasons of his college career at Coastal Carolina, starting 38 consecutive games for the Chanticleers and being named the Sun Belt Conference’s 2022 Offensive Lineman of the Year. Lampkin then started all 11 games he appeared in for UNC in 2023, earning Third Team All-ACC honors.

Will Lampkin join former Tar Heels Joshua Ezeudu, Charlie Heck and Asim Richard in the NFL next year?

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Offensive line inconsistencies hurting UNC in JMU and Duke losses

UNC’s current football season mirrors how its offensive line performs.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were extremely lucky to have experienced offensive lines in past seasons, allowing the likes of Sam Howell and Drake Maye enough time to throw and orchestrate explosive offenses.

This year though, particularly in losses against James Madison and Duke, UNC quarterbacks are running for their lives.

Jacolby Criswell was pressured a combined 27 times against JMU and the Blue Devils, leading to some poor decisions. Criswell turned the ball over three times against the Dukes, then tossed a game-ending interception in Durham last weekend.

In North Carolina’s three victories, though, the combination of Criswell, Conner Harrell and Max Johnson were only pressured 13 times.

Facing Pitt won’t get any easier for the Tar Heels, though, as the Panthers average 17 QB pressures per game.

UNC offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is confident in his linemen despite their recent struggles, noting their continued improvement from the spring, but pointed to how difficult it was trying to engineer a game-winning drive against Duke.

“They’re somewhat on islands,” Lindsey told InsideCarolina’s Evan Rogers. “That’s tough on them, and it’s a two-minute or one-minute situation, and those (opposing) guys are really gassed up to rush the passer. That’s why we try to help them in different ways, but at the end of the day, they are improving. I’ve seen a lot of improvement from, say, since spring when we were doing that. Those guys are getting better each and every week.”

Willie Lampkin is the only returning starter along North Carolina’s offensive line. Left tackle Howard Sampson, now a sophomore, was sparingly used in his two years at North Texas. Graduate center Austin Blaske rarely played at Georgia, left guard Aidan Banfield is a freshman and right tackle Treyvon Green, a sophomore, only played on special teams last season.

Can the Tar Heels’ young offensive line find a way to protect Criswell and help generate a couple victories?

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Nine Tar Heels named to prestigious Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List

The UNC football team sports plenty of 2025 NFL hopefuls on its 2024 roster.

Every college football player’s goal is to help their team win a national championship, but they also hope to be lucky enough for NFL Draft selections.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl, seen largely as a post-college football season All-Star Game, is a great way for NFL Draft hopefuls to showcase their talents in front of NFL scouts.

Despite UNC losing football standouts Drake Maye, Devontez Walker and Cedric Gray to the 2024 NFL Draft, there are several more Tar Heels on the current roster who are 2025 NFL Draft prospects.

Those Tar Heels – Marcus Allen, Power Echols, Desmond Evans, Omarion Hampton, Max Johnson, J.J. Jones, Willie Lampkin, Bryson Nesbit and Kaimon Rucker – are being recognized with nominations to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List.

Hampton is amongst the country’s best running backs, leading the ACC and finishing fifth nationally with 1,504 rushing yards last season. Rucker is one of college football’s top edge rushers, as he led North Carolina with 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2023.

Nesbit is amongst the country’s best tight ends, combining for over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns the past two years. Jones is poised to take over UNC’s top wide receiver spot – he led UNC with 711 receiving yards last season.

Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson is battling for the Tar Heels’s starting quarterback spot with Conner Harrell. If Johnson starts, he’ll be protected by the likes of All-ACC lineman Willie Lampkin.

Finishing up with defense, Echols will form a deadly duo with Rucker by returning 102 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Evans is coming off a 33-tackle, five tackles for loss and 3-sack season that many expect out of a 5-star recruit, while Marcus Allen will arguably lead the secondary after his sophomore season with 49 tackles, an interception and a North Carolina-best eight pass breakups.

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UNC football players chosen for East-West Shrine Bowl watchlist

The UNC football team will be well-represented in January 2025’s East-West Shrine Bowl.

After months of anticipation build for the start of college football, the next season is over just like that.

Teams exceed their preseason rankings and end up playing for a championship, favorites fail to live up to the hype and new stars are born. Bowl season follows a regular-season full of surprises – in 2024, there’s more anticipation due to the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff.

With the departure of Drake Maye, Devontez Walker and Cedric Gray to the NFL, many North Carolina Tar Heel fans are wondering how the football season will pan out in Chapel Hill. There’s plenty of new – and returning – talent on both sides of the ball, highlighted by running back Omarion Hampton and linebacker Kaimon Rucker.

After UNC’s season ends, hopefully in a rare bowl victory, the East-West Shrine Bowl gives future NFL Draft hopefuls one last shot at collegiate gameplay – this time in front of NFL Executives. Recent stars from the Shrine Bowl include 2-time Super Bowl champion Isiah Pacheco and speedy wideout Zay Flowers.

Just over six months away from the 2025 Shrine Bowl, which will be played January 30 next year at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, 12 North Carolina football players were named to the Shrine Bowl 1000.

Desmond Evans, the Class of 2020’s second-ranked player overall, recorded 33 total tackles (18 solo), five tackles for loss and three sacks in 12 games played last year. Bryson Nesbit, expected to be a top tight end taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, led UNC tight ends with 585 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

Rucker will lead the defense this coming season. He returns 61 tackles (34 solo), a team-high 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks from 2023. Power Echols, expected to be another defensive standout, returns 102 tackles (60 solo) and 5.5 tackles for loss.

Nate McCollum, expected to step into a larger starting role this year, caught 44 passes for 469 yards and a touchdown in 2023. Kevin Hester Jr., a starting defensive tackle, brings 30 tackles (12 solo) into the 2024 campaign.

J.J. Jones will likely be the Tar Heels’ top wideout. He led North Carolina with 711 receiving yards last season, plus he added three touchdown. Alijah Huzzie, who transferred in from East Tennessee State before 2023, led UNC with three interceptions last year.

Willie Lampkin is arguably the Tar Heels’ top offensive lineman, as he was named 2023 Third Team All-ACC and started all 11 games he appeared in last year. Antavious “Stick” Lane transferred into Chapel Hill ahead of the 2023 season, recording 62 tackles (33 solo) and three for loss, while NC State transfer Jakeen Harris brings 80 total tackles, eight deflected passes and three interceptions with him from Raleigh.

Last but not least, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson will be competing for North Carolina’s starting quarterback job with Conner Harrell. He carries a ton of experience and talent with him – 5,853 passing yards, 47 touchdowns, 22 starts and four years of SEC football.

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Several UNC football players tabbed Preseason All-American and All-ACC

The North Carolina Tar Heels could surprise some people on the gridiron this coming season.

Roster-wise, the 2024 UNC football season is going to look significantly different.

Gone are 2023 stars Drake Maye, Devontez Walker and Cedric Gray to the NFL. North Carolina will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in three years, a decision that has yet to be made between Jacolby Criswell, Max Johnson and Conner Harrell, while there isn’t a ton of experience in the wide receiver room behind J.J. Jones and Nate McCollum.

The Tar Heels return plenty of stars, though, headlined by running back Omarion Hampton and jack linebacker Kaimon Rucker. Whichever QB wins the starting job should take advantage of UNC’s deep tight end room, including Bryson Nesbit, John Copenhaver and Texas A&M transfer Jake Johnson.

Just over two months away from North Carolina’s season-opener – Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET in a rematch with Minnesota – several Tar Heels made college football analyst Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American and All-ACC teams.

Hampton, a Preseason First Team All-American and All-ACC honoree, led the ACC and finished fifth in the country with 1,504 rushing yards last year.

Rucker, a Preseason First Team All-ACC and Fourth Team All-American honoree, led the Tar Heels with 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks last season. Nesbit, also a Preseason First Team All-ACC and Fourth Team All-American, paced UNC’s tight end room with 585 receiving yards and finished second overall with five touchdowns.

Alijah Huzzie, a Preseason First Team All-ACC honoree, led North Carolina with three interceptions last year. He also had the Tar Heels’ lone return touchdown.

Power Echols, a 2023 starting linebacker who formed a formidable 1-2 tandem with Gray, recorded 102 tackles last season. That is most amongst returners.

Willie Lampkin, who rounds out the Preseason honors with his Third Team All-ACC Honors, started all 11 games he appeared in last year on the Tar Heels’ offensive line.

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Which returning UNC offensive lineman is amongst the ACC’s best?

Just how good is UNC offensive lineman Willie Lampkin?

Summer is about to start and – in two months – so will college football.

Michigan will try and defend its National Championship, but that won’t be easy to accomplish, as last year’s starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, starting running back Blake Corum and starting receiver Roman Wilson all were selected in the NFL Draft.

Washington, whom the Wolverines beat in the CFP Title Game, also lost last year’s starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and a pair of starting wide receivers, Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk, to the NFL Draft.

Your North Carolina Tar Heels, ranked as high as 10th in the country last season before another late-season collapse, will not have Drake Maye or Devontez Walker on their offense. UNC does return star running back Omarion Hampton, who broke out for 1,504 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, plus a deep tight end room headlined by Bryson Nesbit.

North Carolina will also have a solid offensive line anchored by Willie Lampkin, who earned Third Team All-ACC honors and started all 11 games he appeared in.

Lampkin is also one of the top returning linemen in the conference, as his 76.2 grade is fourth amongst ACC interior linemen.

Lampkin will be blocking for either Conner Harrell or Max Johnson in the fall, as the Tar Heels have not decided on their starting quarterback yet.

Regardless of who starts under center, it’s nice to know UNC has a reliable piece like Lampkin on its line.

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