If speed kills, college football has a group of potential assassins next season, anxious to extinguish opposing teams with stellar quickness and explosive ability. Coming out of the 2026 NFL Combine, receivers and running backs flexed jaw-dropping times in the 40-yard dash while a record-breaking quarterback unleashed freakish numbers.
That’s not going to change at next year’s combine either, considering the wealth of speed-driven talent ready to show out across college football in a few months. A couple of these elite runners will be featured options within college football’s most explosive (projected) offenses next season, while a few will star on the defensive side.
Here’s a look at some of the nation’s projected fastest athletes in 2026 with verified numbers powered by Reel Analytics:
1. Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina
The Gamecocks’ former five-star signee could challenge Xavier Worthy’s all-time 40-yard mark at the 2027 NFL Combine if he decides to run next spring. The budding superstar gave up track and field before his junior season to focus on football, following his decline of an invitation to the 2024 US Olympic trials as a 200-meter sprinter. Harbor responded with career-highs in catches (30), yards (618) and touchdowns (six). He hit 22.4 MPH in last season’s opening win against Virginia Tech on a 64-yard touchdown reception. It was college football’s fastest individual play of the campaign, per Reel Analytics.
2. Chris Johnson Jr., RB, Clemson
The first offensive player signed in the 2026 portal cycle by the Tigers, Johnson recorded a 22.3 MPH burst during an 87-yard touchdown run against Stanford — faster than any single play from former Mississippi State speedster Brenen Thompson, who just showed off a 4.26 in the 40 over the weekend at the combine. Thompson was one of three players to post a sub-4.3, joining Ohio State’s Lorenzo Styles and LSU’s Zavion Thomas. Johnson’s straight-line speed might not be as quick as that trio, but it’s close. He finished with 67 carries for 479 yards and four touchdowns last fall at SMU.
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3. Dakorien Moore, WR, Oregon
Oregon may possess the deepest collection of team speed nationally in 2026, with several burners on offense and a future Day 1 pick leading the secondary. The Ducks plan on putting the ball in the hands of Moore as often as they can in the screen game, given his ability to blaze after the catch. Moore has a personal-best 100-meter time of 10.40 seconds and posted a 21.7-second dash in the 200-meter during his prep career. That should translate to low 4.3s in the 40.
4. Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville
Few players in college football have Brown’s breakaway ability at the running back position. He managed six 100-yard outings in nine starts last fall, averaging 8.8 yards per carry, one year after galloping his way to 1,173 as a first-year standout for the Cardinals. The former ACC Freshman of the Year re-signed with Louisville to be the focal point offensively in 2026 despite offers from other programs. Brown’s ex-teammate, Duke Watson, has comparable quickness, and he’s projected to be RB1 next season at UCF.
5. Rodrick Pleasant, CB, UCLA
One of the fastest players in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Pleasant recorded personal bests of 10.14 in the 100m — a California state record — and a 20.40 in the 200m as a state champion at Junipero Serra (Gardena, California) and initially signed with Oregon before transferring to UCLA. He’s returning as a second-year starter for the Bruins’ secondary in 2026 under new coach Bob Chesney and is UCLA’s top cover corner.
6. Brandon Finney Jr., CB, Oregon
Arguably the Ducks’ top returning talent defensively, Finney allowed the lowest passer rating among true freshmen last season per PFF, saving his top performances of the College Football Playoff when he swiped two interceptions and recovered a fumble during a shutout of Texas Tech. Finney’s elite speed in coverage is what makes him such a unique player. Finney ran 10.85 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a junior in high school and also ran 21.84 seconds in the 200-meter dash.
7. Isaiah Setagna III, WR, Oklahoma
NFL scouts and talent evaluators are already salivating over Setagna’s speed on the outside. After transferring from Arkansas to Oklahoma after the 2024 season, Setagna quickly became fellow transfer John Mateer’s go-to target in the passing game after catching 67 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns. When the Sooners needed a big play or third-down bailout, Setagna’s number was called. Nearly half of those trips to the end zone came via explosives, including an 87-yard score against Missouri and a 76-yarder against Ole Miss. Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson may challenge Setagna this season for the team’s top speed honors.
8. Sutton Smith, RB, Arkansas
Per Reel Analytics, Smith clocked the fastest max speed at running back last season with a 21.9 MPH showing at Memphis. Three of his seven touchdowns last season came on runs spanning 50, 60 and 84 yards. He was a transfer portal priority for new Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield, who saw his talent levels and speed up close with the Tigers. Smith averaged 6.6 yards per carry, returned 15 punts and had a kickoff return for a score.
9. Nyziah Hunter, WR, Nebraska
A model of consistency with the Huskers last fall after transferring from California, Hunter has 10 total touchdowns over his first two collegiate seasons and enters his junior year as Nebraska’s No. 1 target in the passing game. His catch-and-run against Maryland spanned 64 yards and featured Hunter out-racing several defenders to the end zone. Dana Holgorsen’s offense needs his play-making ability following Dylan Raiola’s transfer to Oregon, and convincing him to return was a major offseason win for the Huskers.
10. Ryan Wingo, WR, Texas
Wingo led the Longhorns with 54 catches for 834 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore, the former five-star hitting a max speed of 22 MPH per Reel Analytics. Wingo’s burst was the fifth-highest at the wideout spot in 2025, and this season, fellow former five-star recruit Cam Coleman joins the Texas wideout room. Wingo’s a long-strider and doesn’t look as speedy on film as he does when you’re at field level.
11. Aidan Laughery, RB, Illinois
Laughery played in nine games with three starts as a junior last season, finishing with a team-best 77 yards rushing during the Fighting Illini’s bowl victory over Tennessee. During his breakout sophomore campaign, when he averaged 6.1 yards per carry, Laughery reached 22.1 MPH on a touchdown run against Northwestern.
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