With two new coordinators at the helm and a host of new contributors on both sides of the ball, expectations are sky-high for the Los Angeles Chargers in Year 3 of the Jim Harbaugh era.
The expectation, it goes almost without saying, is a playoff victory. If Los Angeles can survive their early onslaught of brutal matchups and the offense can approach its ceiling under Mike McDaniel, their path to accomplishing that goal will already be a lot clearer than it has been the past two seasons. Obviously, much of this will fall on the shoulders of Justin Herbert, who needs to clean up some of the turnover issues from last season and find success in McDaniel's quick-timing air attack.
But it also depends on who can step up across the roster, and that truly starts when the shells and pads come on in training camp. Not all three of these players will be major contributors this season, but they're the pieces that are primed to at least make their mark when training camp begins in late July.
3 Chargers who have a real chance to make their mark in training camp
Genesis Smith, S
Smith, who the Chargers grabbed in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, was always seen as a virtual roster lock since the time of his selection. But he's coming into the league with a rough history as a tackler at Arizona, and there were questions about whether his ball-hawking abilities would be enough to secure him an immediate role in the Los Angeles defense.
More than any other rookie in Chargers OTAs, Smith silenced those questions. He had a number of nice plays during team drills, including an interception and a number of pass break-ups. Chris O'Leary has heralded his feel in deep coverage, and he's positioned himself to have a real chance to compete with R.J. Mickens and Tony Jefferson for snaps at the second safety spot.
If he can show improvement as a tackler in camp, it will be difficult to keep Smith off the field as a rookie.
Omarion Hampton, RB
Hampton has perhaps been the Chargers' most discussed breakout candidate this offseason, and it's easy to argue that would've been the case even without the addition of McDaniel. Hampton was severely limited last season by an ankle injury, amassing just 545 yards across nine games.
Simply by virtue of being healthy, there's ample reason to be excited about Hampton's potential in 2026. But it goes even beyond that.
Hampton's burst and explosiveness should work wonders in McDaniel's outside zone-heavy ground attack. He also has a more than viable pass-catching skill-set out of the backfield— something that McDaniel utilized pretty extensively in Miami with Devon Achane. If Hampton can stay healthy, he should easily be in line for a massive sophomore campaign.
DJ Uiagalelei, QB
Uiagalelei's entry in this list is slightly different— his stock is skyrocketing relative to expectations. After coming into college as a five-star recruit, Uiagalelei's draft stock seemingly fell with each consecutive year he stayed at that level. He finished off with an abysmal five-game campaign at Florida State and was ultimately signed by the Chargers as a UDFA after the 2025 NFL Draft.
For now, Trey Lance is entrenched as the backup quarterback in Los Angeles, and there's no route to a starting job for either him or Uiagalelei. But Lance is on another one-year contract, and Uiagalelei has apparently impressed through the Chargers' offseason program.
ESPN's Kris Rhim called Uiagalelei one of Los Angeles' "most impressive players" through OTAs and mandatory mini-camp, and he's acclimated himself well to the demands of McDaniel's scheme.
It's important to note that McDaniel and Lance have history together from their time in San Francisco. It's unlikely Uiagalelei rises off of the practice squad this season. But training camp will be an opportunity for him to continue to make advancements and perhaps set the stage to usurp Lance next offseason.
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