Mississippi State's Thompson clocks 4.26 in 40 at NFL combine

"Going into this year's NFL combine, many in the league believed Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson had the speed profile to threaten the record for the 40-yard dash at the event. And in a week when some of college football's best put down one blistering 40 after another, Thompson topped them all, running an official time of 4.26 seconds Saturday that very likely will end up being the fastest at this year's combine."

"Thompson posted the third-fastest time by a wide receiver since 2003, according to ESPN Research, matching Jerome Mathis' 4.26 clocking in 2005. Only Worthy and John Ross (4.22 in 2017) were faster in that span."

"Thompson, who measured in at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds at the combine, played one season at Mississippi State and set a school record with 1,054 yards receiving in 2025, which also was best in the Southeastern Conference last season. He averaged 39.8 yards per touchdown over the course of his career."

Brenen Thompson of Mississippi State posted a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, the fastest time of the event. This marks the third-fastest 40-time by a wide receiver since 2003, matching Jerome Mathis' 2005 record and trailing only Xavier Worthy's 4.21 and John Ross' 4.22. Thompson measured 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds. LSU's Zavion Thomas ran 4.28 immediately after Thompson, and Ohio State's Lorenzo Styles Jr. ran 4.27, making three players break the 4.30 barrier. Thompson played one season at Mississippi State, recording 1,054 receiving yards and setting a school record, leading the SEC in receiving yards.

Read at ESPN.com