Brenen Thompson breaks Mississippi State football record in Mayo Bowl

Mississippi State football has a new single season record holder for receiving yards. During the Bulldogs' season-ending loss to Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl Friday night in Charlotte, wide receiver Brenen Thompson etched his name into the record books with 1,054 receiving this season.

Thompson entered the bowl game with 948 yards, 52 yards short of becoming the program's fourth ever 1,000-yard receiver and 98 yards short of setting the previous single season record of 1,046, set by Makai Polk in 2021.

It took no time to see that Mississippi State was going to work towards getting Brenen Thompson to reach both milestones, as on the very first play of the game, QB Kamario Taylor aired it out 51 yards to Thompson, bringing him within one yard of the 1,000-yard benchmark. A 9-yard reception late in the first quarter would put Thompson over 1,000 yards and make the single-season record an obviously attainable goal.

The speedy senior would haul in a 31-yard reception late in the second quarter, putting him just eight yards away from the record. In the fourth quarter, Kamario Taylor would find Thompson for a 15-yard gain to break the single-season record. Brenen Thompson would finish his day with four catches for 106 yards, his fourth 100-yard receiving performance of the 2025 season. While the overall result of the game was not what Mississippi State wanted, seeing Thompson break a school record was a bright spot.

Brenen Thompson a Transfer Portal success story for Mississippi State

While the Transfer Portal is often the subject of warranted criticism, Brenen Thompson is an example of why the Portal can be a good thing. The Spearman, TX native signed with his home state Longhorns in 2022 but saw minimal opportunities. In 2023, he made the move to Oklahoma, finding a role as a deep threat for the Sooners. But injuries, a loaded receiving corps, and (in 2024) a poor offensive ecosystem, prevented him from thriving.

For his final year of eligibility, Thomspon reunited with his 2023 OC in Jeff Lebby. He came to Starkville with just 27 catches for 503 yards and four TDs in his three-year career. But Lebby knew his potential and how he could thrive if given a real opportunity within his offense.

That's exactly what he did. Brenen Thompson's final stat-line for 2025: 57 catches for 1,054 yards and six TDs. He better than doubled his career totals for receptions and yards. As stated, he is just the fourth Bulldog to ever record a 1000-yard receiving season and is MSU's first since 2021. What's most impressive about Thompson setting the record is the big-play nature through which he achieved it. He averaged nearly 18.5 yards per reception, the highest average by an MSU receiver with at least 20 receptions since 2006.

Thompson, who earned All-SEC honors this season, led the SEC with 12 receptions of at least 30 yards. He was tied for the national lead with 10 receptions of at least 40 yards. Known as the "Fastest Man in College Football", he was a perfect fit for Lebby's system.

Brenen Thompson's may never have had the breakthrough that he did if not for being able to transfer to Mississippi State. And thanks to this season, his chances at an NFL career have become legitimate.

Thompson's success fantastic selling point for Jeff Lebby's Bulldog program moving forward. That will be even more true if he's drafted. This is an offense that can maximize the WR position, and there's no doubt talented wideouts will be eager to join the fold.