Can Xavier Worthy break 4.3 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine?
Officially, Xavier Worthy only had one punt return for a touchdown in 2024. He could have had two, but his 86-yard return for a touchdown against Iowa State was nullified by a block in the back penalty on Kitan Crawford.
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What wasn’t nullified was the speed Worthy put on tape. The 6-foot-1, 172-pounder was clocked at 22.7 mph by Reel Analytics, the fastest speed recorded by the AI-powered sports technology and data company during the 2023 season (fellow Longhorn Jaydon Blue was Reel Analytics’ fastest running back in 2023, posting a mark of 22.3 mph during his touchdown run versus Texas Tech).
That type of elite speed is going to be measured in a different way this week when Worthy runs the 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind. With his acceleration and long speed, is running a sub-4.3 40 within the realm of possibility?
While still a rare occurrence, the barrier has been broken a number of times in recent years. Michigan’s DJ Turner did it in 2023 with a 4.26. Going back further than that, former Longhorn wide receiver Marquise Goodwin clocked a 4.27 in 2013. A handful of others, notably Chris Johnson and Tyquan Thornton, are in the club.
John Ross‘ record of 4.22 might not be within reach for Worthy, but 4.29 or better certainly is.
The idea of Worthy running the outstanding time is on the minds of those covering and attending the combine. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman provided a lookback at his annual Freaks List and wondered if Worthy could accomplish the feat. Simply put by Feldman, someone with connections in all corners of the football world: Can he run in the 4.2s in Indy?
Since declaring for the draft on January 2, Worthy has trained in Dallas, Arizona, and places in between. Part of the training for anyone invited to the combine is work on the 40-yard dash.
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It’s not as simple as just “run fast.” Almost every step of the 40 is prepared for at a meticulous level. Those steps make up three distinct parts of the 40-yard run. There’s the drive, the first 10 yards that are timed just as closely as the whole sprint. That measures how fast someone can accelerate, just as meaningful to scouts as evaluators as top speed.
Then there’s the rise, which makes up the next 10 yards. Sprinters move from the angled driving posture and progress vertically before they reach the aptly named run segment.
This is where all it all comes together and sprinters reach max speed and run through the line.
In addition to the football-centric drills Worthy’s prepared for, he’s spent almost two months working to master every step of the most important 40 yards of his young football career.
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Pair that preparation with his natural speed — last officially timed in March of 2020 when he ran a 22.05 200m into a 1.1 m/s headwind during his junior year– and Worthy could be the next to join the elite company of the sub-4.3 40-yard dash club.
Quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs are scheduled to go through the 2024 NFL Combine on Saturday, March 2 beginning at 12 p.m. Central.
