It’s either a brave new world or the wild, wild west, but Aurora Christian product Ethan Hampton has been embracing the high points and even the pitfalls. And he’s ready for more.
Hampton, who played four years under coach Thomas Hammock at Northern Illinois, faced that test head-on this month when he took a leap of faith and jumped into the NCAA transfer portal.
To Hampton, it was time.
“I had four great years, met my best friends,” said Hampton, who has two years of eligibility. “We got a couple bowl wins, won a MAC championship. I felt like I got everything out of the program.”
It includes being at the controls at quarterback for the biggest win in program history. The Huskies, a 28-point underdog, won 16-14 at Notre Dame — their first win over a team ranked in the top 10.
And when Hampton entered the portal, that game was a calling card.
“I was kind of ready for a fresh start and to get on to another experience,” he said. “I entered the portal with no expectations. I didn’t know if I would end up at a FCS or Power Four school.
“It’s a crazy time.”
December has been a whirlwind for Hampton, who had just finished watching Northern Illinois take down Fresno State 28-20 in double overtime at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.
Sophomore receiver Dane Pardridge, a Marmion graduate, caught the winning touchdown pass. Senior linebacker Quinn Urwiler, a Batavia grad, made a TD-saving tackle late in regulation.
That helped set the stage for OT.
“It was good to see the Huskies pull it out,” Hampton said. “We always seem to have these heart attack type of games. It’s definitely harder to watch like this, but I was so glad to see this group of seniors get the win and happy to get to share in it a little bit, too.”
Hampton graduated with a marketing degree earlier in the month, then made visits to Wake Forest and Illinois after declaring for the portal, which was open from Dec. 9 to Dec. 22.
On Dec. 14, he committed Wake Forest. Two days later, though, the school announced Dave Clawson resigned as coach after an 11-year run featuring seven straight bowl game appearances.
Hampton promptly decommitted and reopened his recruiting.
“I didn’t have to reach out to schools,” Hampton said. “I was getting a lot of looks. Wake Forest was one of the most interested and I thought I would have a great chance to start for two years.
“Unfortunately, God had other plans. It was a shock to me.”
On Dec. 19, Hampton committed to Bret Bielema and Illinois, which also received good news that third-year quarterback Luke Altmyer was planning to return to Champaign after leading the Illini to the Citrus Bowl against South Carolina on New Year’s Eve.
“With the portal, things happen so fast,” Hampton said. “Some doors that had opened earlier had already closed. Illinois was still open and the chance to stay in my home state, helping a 10-win team, everything kept pulling me back to Illinois.
“I really believe in coach Bielema’s vision for the program and what we can achieve, and I have to think more 10 years down the road than just next year.”
It’s something Hampton has done before, developing at Northern Illinois behind Rocky Lombardi and getting limited playing time over the course of three seasons before earning the starting job this past fall after Lombardi entered the portal and transferred to Michigan State.
Hampton finished the season with 1,600 yards passing, 12 TDs and six interceptions. He led a run-heavy offense, missing a couple games and parts of two others with an undisclosed injury.
“It was a hard decision because of everything he invested in me the last four years,” Hampton said of entering the portal and his relationship with Hammock. “We had a great conversation. I told him I was thankful to him and he reached out and said, ‘If there’s anything I can do to help you, let me know.’ He helped refer me to Illinois.
“Like a lot of small school players, I felt I was undervalued going back to high school. That’s why I chose NIU. They believed in me. I got a similar feeling from Illinois.”
