Oregon wide receiver Messiah Hampton is facing felony charges in connection with a high-speed police chase on Oct. 18.
The freshman was arrested Friday and charged with two felony counts of attempting to elude police in Springfield, Ore., plus a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving, according to jail records obtained by ESPN. He was booked into Lane County Jail and released Friday evening.
Hampton, who has 18 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns in five games, is not available for the Ducks (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) in Saturday’s game against No. 20 Northwestern (6-1, 3-1) in Eugene, Ore.
The university did not immediately respond to ESPN’s request for comment.
According to The Oregonian, police identified Hampton as one of the drivers involved when officers chased two vehicles in the early hours of Oct. 18, hours after the Ducks’ 17-14 win against Nebraska.
One of the vehicles was abandoned and located near where Oregon wideout Evan Stewart was later arrested and charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to police. Records show Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson received a speeding ticket the same morning.
Hampton was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2026 out of Rochester, N.Y., where he was named the Gatorade New York Player of the Year in 2025.
