Jeremiyah Love: The Gold Standard
No rookie carried a bigger combine number into 2026 than Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Love ran an official 4.36-second 40-yard dash at 212 pounds, matching the time Jahmyr Gibbs posted in 2023 despite Love carrying 15 more pounds. It was the fastest 40 among running backs with a 90-plus NGS production score in the last decade, and it pushed him into top-five draft conversations before Arizona ultimately made him the No. 3 overall pick.
The number was never really in question — it's what a player does with that speed between the tackles that separates workout warriors from difference-makers. Early camp reporting out of Arizona has been cautious rather than glowing: new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has pointed to incumbent James Conner's experience over Love's rookie status when discussing the starting job, even while acknowledging Love's traits. That's a normal camp dynamic — veterans hold the job until a rookie takes it — but it's worth watching whether Love's timed speed shows up as functional playmaking speed once pads come on.
Brenen Thompson: The Combine's Fastest Man
Mississippi State receiver Brenen Thompson didn't just win his position group at the 2026 combine — he ran the fastest 40 of any player at the event, 4.26 seconds. Straight-line speed like that translates most directly on special teams and in vertical route concepts, and camp beat reporters will be watching whether it shows up as separation against NFL press coverage, not just cleared air on a track.
Speed scores are notoriously position-dependent. A 4.26 means something different for a slot receiver working option routes than it does for an outside "X" who needs to stack a cornerback on a go route. That distinction is exactly why raw 40 times get overrated in draft coverage and underrated in camp coverage, where route-running and hands start to matter as much as the stopwatch.
The Explosiveness Outliers
Two tight ends redefined what's possible in the jumps this year. Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers broke combine records in both the vertical jump (45.5 inches) and broad jump (11 feet, 3 inches) — numbers that would be elite for a wide receiver, let alone a 250-pound tight end. Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq matched that explosiveness with a 4.39-second 40, a combine record at the position.
| Player | Position | Combine Standout |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | RB | 4.36s 40-yard dash |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 4.26s 40-yard dash |
| Eli Stowers | TE | 45.5" vertical, 11'3" broad jump |
| Kenyon Sadiq | TE | 4.39s 40-yard dash |
Vertical explosiveness at that level tends to show up first in contested-catch situations and red zone work, areas that don't get tested until pads and live reps arrive in camp. It's an early storyline worth tracking as both tight ends push for early playing time behind established starters.
The Takeaway
Combine numbers predict traits, not production. A 4.36 tells you a player has rare speed; it doesn't tell you whether he'll find the crease, track the ball, or hold up in pass protection. That gap between testing and translation is exactly what training camp exists to close, and it's why the next few weeks of camp reporting matter more than the February highlight reel. Check back as preseason games begin — that's when combine speed finally gets tested in live football.