Mississippi State's Brenen Thompson could challenge NFL Combine 40-yard dash record

Speed is the name of the game for former Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Brenen Thompson. The Texas-native and Oklahoma-transfer broke a program record with 1,054 receiving yards during the 2025 season, proving to be one of the best big-play threats in all of college football. He tied the national lead with 10 catches of at least 40-yards.

His 5-9, 170 frame was no detriment to his game, as he was able to consistently run right by SEC cornerbacks to rack up yardage. Many considered him to be the "Fastest Man in College Football", and that may very well be accurate. Thompson reportedly once ran a 10.18 100m dash in high school and was clocked at more than 23 mph going into the 2025 season.

Thompson is now in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine to gear up for the 2026 NFL Draft, and understanably, he's a popular pick to run the fastest 40-yard dash at the event.

But what about breaking a record? Thompson is certainly a challenger to be the best of 2026, but could he manage to set a new record for the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine?

What is the NFL Combine 40-yard dash record?

The current record-holder for the fastest recorded 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history is actually one of Brenen Thompson's former teammates. Former Texas Longhorn and current Kansas City Cheifs wide receiver Xavier Worthy set the record in 2024 with a 40-yard dash of 4.21 seconds. Thompson and Worthy played together in 2022 when Thompson was a true freshman at Texas, prior to his transfers to Oklahoma and Mississippi State.

Can Brenen Thomspon break the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Combine?

Even for as ridiculously fast as Brenen Thompson is, running faster than a 4.21 in the 40-yard dash, or even tying that mark, seems like quite the tall ask. Only five players in official recorded history have run faster than a 4.25 at the Combine.

But don't entirely count Brenen Thompson out. Reel Analytics, which uses tracking data on players in games to show their on-field speed, projected the top 40-yard dash times for the 2026 Combine. Not only do they project Thompson to lead the way this year, they have in range to challenge the record, potentially running as fast as an absurd 4.19!

That might be a bit generous, but having watched Thompson dust corners play after play last fall, it's not out of the realm of possibility. As for Brenen Thompson himself, he said during Friday's media session that while breaking the record is a goal, he's ultimately just looking to run fast.

Whether Brenen Thompson breaks the 40-yard dash record or not, he's sure to impress in the drill. If he can come out of Indianapolis with the top time or even just one of the top times, he'll likely see his NFL Draft stock rise even higher.