Texas WR Blazes Fastest Combine 40
Texas wide receiver Brenen Thompson posted a blazing 4.26-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time at the 2026 NFL Combine. The event also saw "eye-popping" athletic numbers from other QBs, RBs, and WRs, with prospects like Drew Allar and Cody Love boosting their draft stock.
While the initial report listed Brenen Thompson with Texas, his breakout season came at Mississippi State, where he transferred after stints with Oklahoma and the Longhorns. In his lone season with the Bulldogs in 2025, he amassed 1,054 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 57 catches. Thompson's 4.26-second dash is tied for the fifth-fastest time in NFL Combine history. It puts him in elite company, just behind the record of 4.21 seconds set by Xavier Worthy in 2024 and John Ross's 4.22 in 2017. During his second attempt, Thompson reached a top speed of 23.95 miles per hour, which was faster than the top speed Xavier Worthy hit during his record-setting run in 2024. Thompson's time is the third-fastest by a wide receiver at the combine since 2003. This blistering time is expected to significantly boost his draft stock. Coming into the combine, Thompson was not widely considered a top-tier receiver prospect, with some projecting him as an early Day 3 pick. Studies have shown a significant correlation between faster 40-yard dash times and higher draft placement for wide receivers. Thompson wasn't the only receiver to showcase elite speed. LSU's Zavion Thomas was right behind him with a 4.28-second 40-yard dash, and Oklahoma's Deion Burks also impressed with a 4.30 time. The 2026 combine was historically fast, with seven of eight position groups posting their fastest-ever average 40 times.
