Brenen Thompson’s 4.26 40-yard-dash time tops NFL Combine

Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Brenen Thompson blazed through the 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, posting an official 4.26 seconds on his first attempt on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The time ranked first among all participants this year and tied for the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash in combine history.

Thompson’s 4.26 ranks behind only Xavier Worthy (4.21 in 2024), John Ross (4.22 in 2017), Kalon Barnes (4.23 in 2022), and Chris Johnson (4.24 in 2008). The mark tied Jerome Mathis’s 4.26 and later runs by DJ Turner II, Riq Woolen, and Dri Archer, finishing just 0.05 seconds short of the record.

Thompson and Zavion Thomas were the only receivers to break 4.30 seconds in 2026, with Thomas clocking 4.28. Lorenzo Styles Jr. recorded a 4.27, the second-fastest overall time at this year’s event. Thompson’s second run was unofficially 4.30, and Next Gen Stats tracked his top speed at 23.95 mph on that attempt, the seventh-fastest top speed recorded at the combine since 2023 and faster than Worthy’s 23.62 mph in 2024.

Measured at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds, Thompson completed his only season at Mississippi State in 2025 with 57 receptions for 1,054 yards and six receiving touchdowns across 13 games, setting the program’s single-season receiving yardage record. His 1,054 yards also led the SEC. On top of that, he ran the ball four times for 14 yards and scored once. During the season, he produced 12 receptions of at least 30 yards and five of 50-plus yards, including a 58-yard game-winning touchdown against Arizona State. He averaged 39.8 yards per touchdown for his collegiate career after previous stops at Oklahoma and Texas.

Pre-combine, his draft rankings were all over the place, ranging from 48 by CBS to 74 by The Athletic, 100 by ESPN, and 126 by Pro Football Focus. Projections range from a second-day selection to late Day 3. If selected, Thompson would become the Bulldogs’ first drafted wide receiver since 1996.