A former high school sprinter who led the SEC in receiving yards at Mississippi State, Brenen Thompson brings elite top-end speed to the Chargers' receiving room as a fourth-round pick.
Brenen Thompson turned a track background, including a state sprint title in the 200 meters, into one of the more explosive receiver profiles in the 2026 draft class. After stops at Texas and Oklahoma, he broke out in his lone season at Mississippi State and the Chargers grabbed him in the fourth round to add a field-stretching element to their offense.
Path to the league
Thompson, a four-star recruit out of Spearman High School in Texas, began his college career at Texas in 2022 before transferring to Oklahoma for the 2023 and 2024 seasons and then to Mississippi State for 2025. The Los Angeles Chargers selected him in the fourth round, 105th overall, of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Thompson clocked a top speed of 24.07 mph at the combine, among the fastest marks recorded, a carryover from a high school track career that included a state title in the 200 meters. He posted modest numbers at Texas and Oklahoma before his breakout 2025 season at Mississippi State, where he earned second-team All-SEC honors.
2025 season recap
In his only season at Mississippi State, Thompson caught 57 passes for 1,054 yards and six touchdowns across 13 games, leading the SEC in receiving yards and becoming the first player in program history to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season. That production made him one of the most explosive receiver prospects in the 2026 draft class.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Brenen Thompson
- Chargers.com: Brenen Thompson player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Mississippi State
- Hometown
- Spearman, TX, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
