They don't call him the "Prince of New York" for nothing. After coming to Eugene as a valued, yet overlooked recruit at a very deep position, Messiah Hampton is owning his moment as a starter for the Oregon Ducks .
Hampton's quick ascent in the Oregon offense isn't surprising to the people in the building. From the spring and all the way through fall camp , Hampton has looked like an option the Ducks could use in a variety of ways. But playing time was going to be hard to come by, with a top three of Evan Stewart , Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan already locked in, and five-star wideouts Gatlin Bair and Jalen Lott viewed as the top-tier freshmen in the wide receiver room.
Against Oklahoma State, Hampton got his first opportunity out wide as the Ducks looked for a spark offensively. A week later, after McClellan went down with an injury pregame, Hampton's number was called upon again. He didn't disappoint.
"The motto is 'stay ready, so you don't got to get ready,'" Hampton said. "So just through the whole offseason, just grinding, trusting my process, staying down, and just knowing when my opportunity comes, I just got to make the most out of it."
Two touchdown catches later, Hampton had arrived as a threat that opponents would need to gameplan for, and more importantly, the Ducks' offense wasn't skipping a beat without McClellan. Hampton's first start on the road at USC saw him catch five of his eight targets for 40 yards while working with backup quarterback Dylan Raiola .
The numbers aren't eye-popping, but the effort and ability are. From the outside looking in, a four-star who flew across the country to join one of Oregon's most loaded position rooms wasn't supposed to make such an immediate impact and play a bigger role when an important starter went down. However, Hampton's work in practice is what brought him here.
Wide receivers coach Ross Douglas first connected with Hampton while he was coaching at Syracuse, and the two formed a connection in New York. When Douglas came to Eugene, he stayed in touch with Hampton because of the work ethic he showed. Now wearing the green and yellow, Hampton's practice habits haven't changed, but he is adjusting to a much higher level of competition than he ever faced in the Empire State.
"The most difficult aspect is definitely the game speed," Hampton said. "I would say it's one: every player on the field is good; everybody was elite in high school. And I would say the easiest transition is working hard. I come from a program called CTC and James Monroe High School, where hard work was the model of the program, so I'm used to having to work hard for what I want."
Working hard is a welcome trait on Dan Lanning's squad, and it shows up in his blocking. As an outside receiver who can block and separate downfield, it's hard to find a reason to take Hampton off the field.
"It's probably one of his greatest strengths," Lanning said. "To be a great player, especially at wideout, you've got to be able to earn the opportunity to throw the ball, right? And one of the things is you want to be able to honor both. ... He's done a good job in that area. Expecting him to continue to grow there."
Every block, every route, every catch, and every successful drive is another piece for Hampton's confidence to build on. When Hampton was called to start in McClellan's place against Portland State, there wasn't any doubting or fear, because it was a situation that the freshman had stayed ready for.
"Just knowing that I work for this moment," Hampton said. "God will never put you in a situation that you can't handle, that's too big for you. So just knowing that my preparation has prepared me for this, and I'm ready for my opportunity."
Hampton said he thinks of blocking in terms of "how much you love your teammates," which is evident after the incident inside the LA Memorial Coliseum last Saturday. After USC's Desman Stephens II knocked out Dante Moore with a hard hit , Hampton was the first Duck to go to bat to defend his quarterback, before restraining himself and collecting himself alongside his teammates.
In addition to his blocking, Hampton's route running has stood out in his short time with the Ducks. The Rochester native is tied for second on the team with 14 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. In the past two weeks, Hampton has been targeted 15 times, the most of any Oregon wideout. His ability to separate on the field has separated him within the room.
Two players Hampton tries to model his game after? New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson and Los Angeles Rams receiver Davante Adams, both known for their route running and the high-volume they bring to their offenses. Practice makes perfect, and Hampton's first few games on the field with the Ducks show how capable he is of becoming just like the receivers he idolizes.
"I made that catch a million times, I ran that route a million times, I blocked that play a million times," Hampton said. "So it's just like practice. I've been practicing for 18 years of my life, so just going out there and just doing it one more time, one more time, repetition."
The Ducks won't play this week, but Hampton will get a chance to build upon a strong start to his freshman season next week when Oregon hosts UCLA at Autzen Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Messiah Hampton's preparation paying off with early Oregon role
