Oregon Football: Freshman Wide Receiver Arrested in High-Speed Pursuit

Oregon freshman wide receiver Messiah Hampton was arrested Friday afternoon in connection with a high-speed chase that occurred earlier this month.

Jail records show Hampton faces two felony charges for attempting to elude police and one misdemeanor charge for reckless driving. He was booked into the Lane County Jail and released Friday evening.

Springfield police identified Hampton as one of the drivers involved in an incident that began at 3:51 a.m. on Oct. 18. Dispatch logs indicate several officers pursued two vehicles during the early hours of the morning. No arrests were made at the scene. One of the vehicles was later abandoned near the area where teammate Evan Stewart was arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant about an hour after the chase ended.

Stewart, a wide receiver, was not named by police as a suspect in the speeding incident. Authorities told The Oregonian on Friday night that they are still working to identify the second driver. Tight end Jamari Johnson also received a Class A speeding ticket that same morning, though police did not list him as a suspect in the pursuit.

The incident happened hours after Oregon defeated Nebraska at home. Head coach Dan Lanning addressed the team on Oct. 19, citing an incident that did not meet team standards and noting that it overshadowed the victory. Lanning stated the program was gathering details and would handle repercussions internally.

Hampton was a late addition to the Big Ten availability report for the second consecutive week. The Ducks host Northwestern on Saturday. Stewart and wide receiver Jalen Lott were also added to the availability list Friday night. Oregon has lost three games this season and is unranked, falling from a No. 2 preseason AP poll position.

The University of Oregon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.