Through Week One of the 2026-27 NFL season, there's already several former Tar Heel standouts making early impacts.
Quarterback Drake Maye and wide receiver Mack Hollins, both members of the New England Patriots, played during the September 9 regular season opener. Maye tossed his first touchdown pass of the year, while Hollins led New England in receiving yards.
On Sunday, two of the best running backs in recent UNC memory delivered sizable contributions for their NFL teams. Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams scored two touchdowns in a 28-20 loss, while Omarion Hampton scored the Los Angeles Chargers' first touchdown in a 26-14 defeat.
Hampton's score came during an 8-yard run in the first quarter, cutting his team's deficit to 7-6,
before Cameron Dicker's extra point tied the game at seven. Despite the Chargers losing a shocker to the Arizona Cardinals, Hampton led his team with 43 rushing yards.
Williams netted his Cowboys' final two touchdowns against the New York Giants, first scoring on a 1-yard run to end the third quarter, then on a 17-yard pass from Dak Prescott. After his second score, Williams committed a costly taunting penalty, which led to a missed extra point. Williams ended his night with a Dallas-best 41 rushing yards, plus 31 receiving yards that put him second behind CeeDee Lamb.
omarion hampton would not be stopped pic.twitter.com/hGyesQD1Sj
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 13, 2026
Dak finds Javonte Williams out of the backfield for six!
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2026
DALvsNYG on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aDfaiM4sFb
Williams is coming off his best NFL season to date, when he ran for a career-high 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025. Playing at North Carolina from 2018-2020, Williams ran for 2,297 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Hampton's rookie campaign in 2025 ended early due to an ankle injury, but he still ran for 545 yards and four scores. Donning a Tar Heel uniform from 2022-2024, Hampton left Chapel Hill fourth all-time in touchdowns and third in career rushing yards.
As the NFL season progresses, expect both Hampton and Williams to continue playing sizable roles for their teams.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Two UNC football standouts score touchdowns in Week 1 NFL action
