The Chargers are coming off their first off-season practices with OTAs and minicamp underway. With so many new players to see for the first time, Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh named 12 players that caught his eye and are “ascending.”
While this is always good news for an NFL team, some of the players are curious choices, as these players’ improvement could shake up potential depth charts and predictions the media has had since the roster has taken form.
Jim Harbaugh Names Ascending Players After Chargers Minicamp
Reliable, talented reporter Kris Rhim was able to get the extensive report after the Chargers’ minicamp practice from Harbaugh and share it with the fans. Credit to him is below.
“Ascending” players so far to Jim Harbaugh:
CB Donte Jackson
CB Benjamin St Juste
CB Ja’Sir Taylor
S Kendall Williamson
DT Naquan Jones
DT Da’Shawn Hand
DT Jamaree Caldwell
WR Tre Harris
RB Omarion Hampton
WR Quentin Johnston
RT Joe Alt
TE Oronde Gadsden II pic.twitter.com/G5dWZ87kPb— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) June 12, 2025
The Obvious Players Primed For Improvement After Chargers Minicamp
Jim Harbaugh has his moments of being clear with the media, when he is not telling crazy yet very interesting stories to divert the topic of conversation. This moment of clarity came on June 12, 2025, when Harbaugh mentioned 12 players who are ascending after a Chargers minicamp practice.
Out of the players, he mentioned the individuals who were pretty obvious candidates for the labels of ascending athletes: CB Donte Jackson, DT Jamaree Caldwell, WR Tre Harris, RB Omarion Hampton, RT Joe Alt, TE Oronde Gadsden II.
Jackson was an obvious candidate as he is coming off a good season with the Steelers and is now in a scheme that has shown immense ability to hit the ceilings of talented defensive backs.
Caldwell, Harris, Hampton, and Gadsden II are all rookies from the 2025 class, so the expectation of them improving once they are in the Chargers minicamp, which has NFL buildings with NFL staff, NFL coaches, etc, is as obvious as it gets.
The last man standing of this sub-list is Alt, a second-year player who has gotten so much praise from nearly every Chargers coach, speaking on his improvement from year one to current day, even if his year one was incredible.
The Controversial Selections From Jim Harbaugh’s Assessment From Chargers Mini-Camp
The more interesting sub-section of the list that Harbaugh gave from his presser in Chargers minicamp is the players of: CB Benjamin St. Juste, CB Ja’Sir Taylor, S Kendall Williamson, DT Naquan Jones, DT Da’Shawn Hand, and WR Quentin Johnston.
Controversial Defensive Backs Getting Praise
St. Juste has been mentioned from previous fan bases as one of the worst players they have seen (granted, this hatred is mostly unwarranted, as he was an OK starter for his career with the Commanders). St. Juste being on this list is still curious, as he has been put behind fifth-round second-year player Cam Hart by most, but if he can compete and win the spot, he may see significant playing time.
Taylor is one of, if not the most interesting, Chargers minicamp shoutout, as he has been penciled into being a borderline 53-man roster depth slot cornerback/special teams ace. But with this ascension mentioned by Harbaugh, could he play more defensive snaps, even after the disappointing last few seasons he’s had on defense?
Williamson was a late-season signing last season, after the Chargers were hampered heavily by injuries. As a former seventh-round selection of the Bears, Williamson played some defensive snaps, most of which were uninspiring. However, this gave the Chargers’ front office enough hope to re-sign him to a futures contract. Now, in 2025, could the young safety actually compete for a roster/practice squad spot?
Veteran Defensive Linemen Garnering Respect In The Chargers Building
Naquan Jones is a defensive lineman who has garnered some hype to develop, even if he is a bit older than the average lineman in the room. This is due to his lack of opportunity at his last spots, and his flashes whilst being in those buildings. However, the interesting part lies in how many snaps he will truly earn? Is he going to play over the young guys like Jamaree Caldwell and Justin Eboigbe?
Da’Shawn Hand is in a similar bucket as Jones, as they both have shown flashes since their entrance into the league. However, Hand is much more established and has shown the ability to be a steadying presence across a defensive line. Is he actually ascending after a Chargers minicamp in his age-30 season?
The Most Controversial Of Them All… But Is It A Surprise?
Quentin Johnston being mentioned by Jim Harbaugh as an improved player should not really surprise most who are paying attention. Harbaugh, since he has arrived, has tried to build up the confidence of Johnston, doing his best to build him up in hopes that Johnston will continue to develop as a receiver.
Johnston improved mightily from year one to year two, even if he still had some infamous plays that live in the mind of the fan base. If he could remove those mistakes in year three, maybe the narrative of Johnston will begin to change. A surprising ascending player no longer, simply a first-round pick who took longer to develop.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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