Top In-State '26 Prospect RB Evan Hampton Commits to Louisville

Hampton is also a top-200 prospect in the Class of 2026 as a whole.

Louisville running backs coach Chris Barclay and Owensboro (Ky.) HS running back Evan Hampton / Twitter/X

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program's hot streak in the Class of 2026 keeps on rolling.

Owensboro (Ky.) HS running back Evan Hampton, the No. 1 Class of 2026 prospect in the state of Kentucky according to the 247Sports Composite, announced Monday that has given his verbal pledge to the Cardinals.

He chose Louisville out of a top seven also consisting of Duke, Indiana, NC State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He also held offers from Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, TCU and others.

Hampton is the fifth 2026 prospect to commit to Louisville over the last 10 days. St. Xavier teammates linebacker Karsten Busch and running back Marlon Harbin, West Boca Raton (Fla.) HS defensive back Jaydin Broadnax and Fort Myers (Fla.) HS offensive tackle Joel Ervin have also pulled the trigger in that span.

Hampton was originally offered by Louisville last June, then took a visit for the Cardinals' matchup against Jacksonville State on Sept. 7. Recently, all four current assist coaches plus Brohm paid Hampton a visit last January.

There's a reason why Louisville in so invested in Hampton. The 6-foot-0, 197-pound running back, on top of being the No. 1 player in the state, is the 333rd-ranked player in the 2026 cycle per the 247Sports Composite. He ranks as high the No. 169 prospect in the nation by On3's in-house rankings.

Hampton has put up video game-like numbers during his time at Owensboro. This past season as a junior, he rushed for 1,609 yards and 20 touchdowns, and also caught 16 passes for 107 yards and four scores, getting named a Third-Team All-State selection by the Courier-Journal. During his three-year career at Owensboro he has amassed 3,284 rushing yards and 51 rushing touchdowns.

Louisville is now up to a 11-man 2026 recruiting class with Hampton's commitment, which ranks as the No. 10 class in the nation, per247Sports. Per the 247Sports Composite, three of the top six prospects in Kentucky, as well as five of the top 12, have committed to the Cards.

(Photo of Chris Barclay, Evan Hampton via Twitter/X)

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