Oregon freshman wide receiver Messiah Hampton was arrested on Friday afternoon following a high-speed chase that occurred on October 18, after the Ducks' victory over Nebraska. Hampton was booked into Lane County Jail and released later that evening on one felony charge of attempting to elude police and one misdemeanor charge of reckless driving, according to jail records.
Police identified Hampton as the driver of one of the two vehicles that evaded officers. The other vehicle was abandoned near the location where wide receiver Evan Stewart was arrested for DUII, though Stewart is not considered a suspect in the chase and prosecutors declined to file charges against him. Tight end Jamari Johnson was also cited for speeding that same night but is not a suspect either. Authorities are still working to identify the driver of the second vehicle.
Hampton has recorded 18 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns this season, emerging as a productive part of Oregon's offense. He was listed as out on the team's availability report for an undisclosed reason ahead of the loss to Illinois last week and remained out on Friday's report. The 4-3 Ducks host No. 20 Northwestern at Autzen Stadium on Saturday as they try to stay above .500 while dealing with ongoing off-field distractions stemming from the aftermath of the Nebraska game.
