Keaton Mitchell could also provide some big-play ability in the run game in his first season with the Chargers
Who’s on the roster?
The Bolts will hold more than a dozen open practices at The Bolt and will also practice twice at the University of San Diego in early August.
Chargers.com will take a look at each position group leading up to training camp. The running backs are up next.
Omarion Hampton, Alec Ingold, Keaton Mitchell, Kimani Vidal, Scott Matlock, Jaret Patterson, Amar Johnson, Greg Derosiers
There’s a mix of familiar faces with fresh ones in the Chargers backfield ahead of training camp.
But it’s also clear there is plenty of excitement for what this group could do in 2026.
As the Bolts prepare for camp, they are led by a new Offensive Coordinator in Mike McDaniel and a new running backs coach in Max McCaffery.
The latter said this offseason that he loves the running back group he gets to work with.
“They are very like-minded with myself in that they are detail oriented and approach their job like it’s the most important thing in the world on each play,” McCaffrey said. “I feel very fortunate to get to work with a group of guys that are all bought in collectively.”
The room is led by running back Omarion Hampton, a 2025 first-round pick who rushed for 545 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.
Hampton, who battled a pair of ankle injuries at multiple points in the season, added 192 receiving yards and a touchdown in nine total games.
The Chargers have shifted to outside zone scheme under McDaniel, and Hampton can be counted as a fan of the new system.
“All the running backs like it a lot,” Hampton said in June. “It’s just figuring it out, the details of it. It’s going to be super good for us.”
He later added: “It’s a lot different than we’re used to so it’s fun to learn new stuff and see how it goes.”
McCaffrey said Hampton, who is listed at 6-foot and 220 pounds, could be in line for a big season.
While Hampton’s all-around game has the coaching staff excited, Keaton Mitchell’s speed turned some heads this offseason.
Mitchell, an offseason free agent addition, tallied 11 runs that went for 10-plus yards in 2025, and led the NFL with an average run speed of 14.49 miles per hour, according to Next Gen Stats.
Kimani Vidal is also back after a productive 2025 season that saw him eclipse the 100-yard mark in three separate games while Hampton was out.
Jaret Patterson and Amar Johnson are also back in camp after spending most or parts of the 2025 season with the team, as Patterson did appear in six games and rush for 159 yards and a score. Greg Derosiers is also on then roster as an undrafted free agent.
Alec Ingold should also play a key role at fullback in 2026 after spending the past four seasons with McDaniel in Miami.
Chargers players relied on Ingold’s knowledge of the system to help them get acclimated to it this offseason, but Ingold made it clear he’s bringing an attitude to the Bolts offense as well.
“I run and hit {stuff],” the fullback said earlier this offseason when asked what he brings to the field.
Scott Matlock, who played fullback in 2025 after being drafted as a defensive linemen, is also on the roster for training camp.
Just go back and watch the tape from Week 4 when he racked up 165 yards from scrimmage in a game that included a 54-yard touchdown run plus a bulldozing 18-yard gain where four defenders were needed to bring him down.
The key now is for the second-year back to stay healthy and produce for a full season.
“Really just looking forward to next season,” Hampton said about his offseason mindset. “Putting everything I can in the treatment, everything I can in getting back to 110 percent. I feel like I did that well. Couldn’t be more excited for next year.”
Source: www.chargers.com