The 10 fastest Longhorns on the 2022 roster

I’m not big on lists, but I’m also not big on ignoring questions in a Q&A, either. Sometimes that format gets moving a little too quickly to respond to topics that require some thought, or to ask about.

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One question from the most recent Q&A was, who are the 10 fastest players on the team? Let me tell you, this question is a whole lot more intriguing than it was just a year or two ago.

’Fastest’ is a bit hard to define because we’re using different inputs across the board. The first thing factored for is info based on metrics like miles per hour, then info on how they look in drill work and 7-on-7. Track and field times from high school also matter quite a bit.

10. WR Troy Omeire

Omeire is a surprise addition but he’s running at the bottom of the top group of wide receivers and as you can surmise, this is a fast group. He was not known as a speedster in high school, though his senior tape was easily his most explosive and he was destroying Texas defensive backs in his first August camp. Since then he’s torn his ACL twice. While he’s running quite well in a straight line, his ability to change direction is still somewhat hindered. Still, Omeire has made great progress and based on miles per hour, he’s one of the fastest guys on the team, even if he is only the fifth fastest wide receiver.

9. RB Jaydon Blue

At one point Blue was rated as one of the best running backs in the country, thanks in large part due to his big-play ability. He ran 10.70 as a junior before enrolling early this past January. The track speed has continued to carry over to the football field since his arrival.

8. WR Isaiah Neyor

Neyor is plenty fast, and perhaps even more football fast than this ranking indicates. He does not lose much speed when transitioning in and out of routes. He’s fast enough to be a vertical threat, but he’s also an explosive route runner. He’s going to become a complete receiver with speed being just one positive trait. The sky is the limit.

7. S Kitan Crawford

Crawford is one of the top prospects in the program, even if he hasn’t played a ton. He can track and can smack with the best of them but he does have a couple veterans he’s competing against for playing time. Safety is a mental position so they’ll likely ease him into the rotation this year as he becomes more comfortable. But the talent and speed have always been there. He arrived at UT having run 10.6 100 meters in high school.

6. WR Agiye Hall

He passed the eyeball test on his two receptions in the National Championship game against Georgia. The former Bama high four-star looked very explosive on a field full of explosive players. He also ran 4.5 laser in high school. Don’t let the recent NFL combine fool you, 4.5 laser is legit fast for a high schooler.

5. CB D’Shawn Jamison

Further proof the eyeball test works is when you watch Jamison return punts. Despite his height he has a long stride that helps him exploit return lanes. As a high schooler, it was clear how explosive of an athlete he was based on junior tape, even before  where he ran a 4.48 laser paired with an absurd 3.90 shuttle.

4. RB Keilan Robinson

We’ve heard plenty of anecdotal evidence of Robinson’s speed since he arrived in Austin, but we also saw it for ourselves, especially versus Rice and West Virginia. He also displayed it a time or two while he was at Alabama.

3. WR Jordan Whittington

Based on miles per hour, Whittington was the second fastest player all offseason, in addition to being the most consistent receiver. Whittington has of course had injury troubles, but the chronic injuries he suffered earlier in his career seem to be behind him and his speed is better than ever. J-Whitt as a vertical threat from the slot could become a thing this season.

2. WR Xavier Worthy

Worthy ran 10.55 as a sophomore and that speed showed up in his explosive freshman season. He seems to always have an extra gear that he can smoothly shift too. His acceleration in the open field is elite. It’s hard to not have him as the fastest player on the team, but…

1. WR Brenen Thompson

Everyone knows his track credentials are off the charts (10.22 100m, 20.73 200m) but that speed has showed up in 7-on-7. That’s good to hear given the giant leap in competition from Spearman (Texas) to UT. Despite playing subpar competition, Thompson had some of the fastest play-speed you’ll find in high school and he’s already turning heads with his jets. 

Closing: Steve Sarkisian and his coaches have done a terrific job addressing numerous roster deficiencies since they arrived. Given six of the ten players listed have arrived after the head coach, add ’improving team speed‘ to their list of accomplishments. 

Next up, they need to add more speed to the defensive backfield.