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2026 NFL Combine Speed Test: Top College Football Players With Elite 40-Yard Dash Times

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

2026 NFL Combine Speed Test: Top College Football Players With Elite 40-Yard Dash Times
NCAA Logo (Image Credits: Imagn)

The stopwatch doesn’t care about college production or draft projections. It just measures who’s fast and who isn’t in the 40-Yard dash time. Indianapolis hosted another year of prospects chasing 4.3-second dreams, and this time the speed freaks delivered numbers that shifted entire draft boards.

Wide receivers weren’t the only ones running sub-4.4. Tight ends broke position records. Quarterbacks posted times that made scouts rethink mobility thresholds. A 223-pound running back clocked a number reserved for slot receivers. The 40-yard dash time remains the combine’s marquee event because it still matters, and 2026 proved why.

1. Brenen Thompson (WR, Mississippi State) — 4.26 seconds

Thompson ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the entire combine. Period.

The Mississippi State receiver transferred from Oklahoma and hauled in 57 catches for 1,054 yards last season. He became the Bulldogs’ primary deep threat despite weighing around 170 pounds. Size doesn’t matter when you force safeties to cheat 15 yards deep every snap.

2. Lorenzo Styles Jr. (S, Ohio State) — 4.27 seconds

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Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Image Credits: Imagn)

Styles became the first defender to crack 4.30 at the combine. His 4.27-second sprint separated him from every other defensive back in Indianapolis.

He started college as a receiver before switching to defense, which explains why he moves like someone who used to catch passes. Ball skills plus elite range equals perfect single-high safety.

3. Mike Washington Jr. (RB, Arkansas) — 4.33 seconds

Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. running 40-yard dash
Mike Washington Jr. (Image Credits: Imagn)

Washington posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among running backs. Then the weight measurement came in.

He’s 6-foot-1, 223 pounds. His 4.33 tied for one of the quickest times recorded over the past two decades for backs over 220 pounds, according to ESPN. That combination doesn’t exist often. Big backs run in the 4.5s. Small backs run in the 4.3s.

4. Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon) — 4.35 seconds

Thieneman recorded 44 tackles and two interceptions last season. Scouts already liked his instincts. The 4.35-second 40-yard dash time confirmed he has the range to back up his football IQ.

Oregon’s safety reads plays pre-snap, then has the speed to execute whatever adjustment the offense forces. That combination elevates first-round grades. Teams need safeties who think and run. Thieneman does both.

5. Taylen Green (QB, Arkansas) — 4.37 seconds

Green ran one of the fastest 40-yard dash times by a quarterback in combine history.

Dual-threat ability has always defined his game at Arkansas. He extends plays outside the pocket and creates explosive runs when protection breaks down. The 4.37 validates what tape already showed—he’s got legitimate track speed for the position.

Passing consistency remains the question. Athletic upside isn’t. Teams building mobile quarterback offenses just circled his name.

6. Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon) — 4.39 seconds

Kenyon Sadiq (Image Credits: Imagn)

Sadiq posted the fastest 40-yard dash time ever recorded by a tight end at the NFL Combine, per NFL.com. Ever. At any combine. At the tight end position.

Oregon used him everywhere, in line, slot, split out wide. At a position traditionally measured by blocking and size, Sadiq’s speed creates problems that linebackers and safeties can’t solve. Modern tight ends need receiving ability. Sadiq just announced he’s elite at it.

7. Chandler Rivers (CB, Duke) — 4.40 seconds

Rivers tied for the fastest 40-yard dash time among cornerbacks. He played corner, nickel, and safety during his college career at Duke. That versatility, combined with sub-4.4 speed, makes him a mid-round target for teams needing secondary depth.

The 2026 combine reinforced a trend that’s been building for years: speed across every position group keeps climbing. Several groups recorded the fastest average 40-yard dash times ever, according to NBC Sports.

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