Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville RB Commit Evan Hampton

The Louisville football program is making sure the top player in the state in staying home, as Evan Hampton has committed to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Evan Hampton
Position: Running Back
Measurables: 6-foot-0, 208 pounds
School: Owensboro (Ky.) HS
Top Offers: Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.9008 (333rd)

Evan Hampton Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Hampton has a very good frame on him for a high school running back with his particular rushing style. While he doesn't have super broad shoulders, he's still got a well-toned upper and lower body, and even looks like he could add a little bit more weight too. Height is good, wingspan is about what you'd expect from a running back.

Athleticism: It's clear that, no matter who Hampton is playing against, he's one of the most athletic players on the field at any given time. His calling card is his incredible open field speed, but he also has great burst thanks to good foot speed and lateral foot work. He's also got very, very underrated play strength.

Instincts: As you can imagine, Hampton has a very explosive first step after getting the ball, and has high-end sustained open field speed. But one of the first things that stands out on film is his well above average vision. He can find and shoot through gaps incredibly quickly, not to mention he can get skinny and not lose much momentum. One of the more underrated aspects of his vision is that, more often than not, he knows which angles to take and the timing to make them so that he can gain the clear leverage advantage. Hampton is also incredibly shifty and has very good one-cut capabilities, plus in one-on-one situations, he's got a good juke move and solid stiff arm.

Polish: Where Hampton's underrated play strength really shows is the fact that not only does he do a great job at playing through contact, he has phenomenal contact balance as well. He's very hard to take down one-on-one, thanks to the fact that not only is he a bit of a slippery/shifty runner, he's not afraid to run someone over as well. He also excels with both runs up the middle and on outside runs, as he can regularly beat defenders on the edge and get to the boundary. He also does a pretty good job at keeping the football high and tight. The main knock against him is that there aren't any pass catching reps on film, so he'll have to develop that aspect of his game.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a fantastic pickup for Louisville. Hampton brings to the table a fantastic blend of speed, power and mental intangibles, and he could work his way into the running back rotation sooner rather than later. It'll be hard to do with Isaac Brown and Duke Watson still on the roster, but Jeff Brohm has already shown that he's not afraid to give reps to younger backs.

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