NFL's 40-yard dash record nearly broken by SEC standout

Lucas Oil Stadium buzzed on Saturday night as Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson turned the NFL Combine into his personal racetrack, rocketing to a 4.26-second 40-yard dash that left scouts double-checking their stopwatches. The blistering time fell just five-hundredths of a second short of Xavier Worthy’s 4.21-second combine record set in 2024, tying for the fifth-fastest clocking in the event’s history and instantly igniting first-round chatter.

Thompson arrived in Indianapolis with a reputation for game-breaking speed after leading the SEC with 1,054 receiving yards in 2025, averaging 18.5 yards on 57 catches. The on-field production translated seamlessly to the combine stage, where vertical speed is currency and elite 40-yard dashes historically translate to draft-day capital—three of the previous five fastest wideouts at the combine became first-round selections.

Despite Mississippi State’s 5-8 campaign, Thompson’s individual brilliance never waned. Now, after a near-record sprint that stopped the clock at 4.26, the conversation shifts from how fast he can run to how high he can climb on draft boards. With the combine’s most electrifying performance in the books, the former Bulldog has sprinted squarely into first-round consideration.