Xavier Worthy Ran The Fastest 40 In NFL Combine History

The 40-yard-dash has become the marquee event during NFL Combine week, particularly when the defensive backs and wide receivers step up to the line inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

John Ross entered the 2024 NFL Combine as the record-holder with a 4.22 official time in the 40, but his record figured to face some stiff competition this year. One of the top candidates for the fastest time, DB Tyler Owens from Texas Tech (who jumped the second longest broad jump ever at 12’2), didn’t run because he picked up an injury between the jumps and the 40. Nate Wiggins, a corner out of Clemson, owned the fastest time of the DBs with a 4.28, and coming into Saturday it wasn’t clear if any of the receivers would be able to threaten that.

However, in the second receiver group, Texas speedster Xavier Worthy stepped up and absolutely roasted his first 40, posting a 4.25 that Daniel Jeremiah knew was special almost as soon as he got out of his stance.

Some guys run a 40 like that and call it a day, but Worthy wasn’t done and stepped up for his second run and somehow bested his first, eliciting a very funny noise from Rich Eisen at the line and causing DJ to just laugh at what they’d witnessed.

The 4.22 unofficial time would tie Ross, but word came down from the official laser time that Worthy had in fact run a 4.21 and the fastest performance in Combine history.

Worthy hauled in 75 catches for 1,014 yards this season for Texas and was considered a potential first round pick coming into the Combine (Mel Kiper Jr. had him going 32nd to the Chiefs), but after running this fast in Indy, he might have bumped his stock even higher.