“I’ve never seen a person with my own eyes that fast on the football field.”

Mississippi State wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis has had plenty of positive things to say about Brenen Thompson.

“Someone who came here with one mindset. Like, he’s all in,” he added. “Obviously, a married guy, so mature, just carries himself like a professional… the room is really good, so you have multiple leaders in there, but it didn’t take Brenen long to establish himself as a leader in that room, right? Just someone who’s done it. And he knows, we brought him in here to go be productive. Go be a guy for us, help us win some games. So he’s taking that role on, He’s been great for the young guys. You can’t say enough good things about BT.”

While it’s not yet known what the Oklahoma transfer looks like as a feature receiver, it is known that he is exceptionally fast. Thompson clocked a speed of more than 23 mph this offseason, which helped him earn a spot on Bruce Feldman of The Athletic’s ‘Freaks List,’ and, according to Sooners Illustrated, has a 40-yard dash time of 4.3. He isn’t shy about how big of a factor his speed is, and in his time at State, he’s enjoyed testing himself against others. 

“I think my favorite is Kelley (Jones), just because of how long he is,” he said when asked about who he likes to work against in practice. “That’s where I’m working my game, as far as my hands go. Some of my weaknesses he’s able to attack, so I’m able to work on that and perfect that as we go against each other. I think he’s the fastest player on the defensive side, I’m considered the fastest on the offensive side, so battling every day is so much fun.”

Whether it’s his confidence or that of his coaches when speaking about him, Thompson is embracing the leadership and responsibility of being a top receiver with the Bulldogs. 

The transfer wide receiver hasn’t played a single down of football yet for Mississippi State, but he’s already considered one of the main leaders on offense. He may have only arrived in January, but he knows the playbook as well as anyone. 

“I’m the one that helps everyone else with the playbook, to be honest with you,” he said. “I know it almost like the back of my hand so it’s been good for me to help the younger guys and some of those guys that don’t understand it as much, because it’s a different game in college. A lot of those guys come from a different playbook or high school, things change, the speed of the game changes.”

More than just a speedster

Thompson represented the team alongside quarterback Blake Shapen and linebacker Issac Smith at SEC Media Days in Atlanta last month, showing the trust head coach Jeff Lebby has in him. Lebby reiterated his feelings about the senior receiver after practice yesterday.  

“I think he’s set the standard of how you should operate inside of the building as a transfer,” Lebby said. “There’s not a better teammate. There’s not a guy that spends more time, that’s more accountable, that’s just serious about being great at everything that he does. He’s got this really mature personality. He’s an old soul, and this guy has done an unbelievable job of being a great teammate. He has really set the expectation for transfers and what it’s supposed to look like.” 

Thompson started 10 games as a junior at Oklahoma in 2024, recording 19 receptions, 230 yards and two touchdowns. The year before he racked up 241 yards in six games from just seven receptions with a pair of touchdowns, a 63-yarder and a 53-yarder. 

Despite his ability as a deep threat, he struggled to stay involved in a Sooners offense that never quite got going. When he made the move to Starkville, it was with the intent of finding a bigger role, and that’s exactly what his former offensive coordinator has in mind. 

“I think when you go back and you watch the tape from last year, he’s open. A lot,” Lebby said. “And when I had him two years ago, you know, he was banged up, but when we had him, he had production when he was able to play. I’m excited about the opportunity he’s got. He’s got a chance to have a great year.”

According to Thompson, the playbook hasn’t changed “at all” since his time working with Lebby at Oklahoma in 2023. That gave him a head start on many of the other newcomers in the receiver room, and it also put him in position to help as a leader on offense despite arriving on campus in January. 

“I see the details with everything,” Thompson said. “There were a lot of new people here in the spring, so not all of them understood the playbook fully, because it is a lot. I think that even more now, transforming into fall camp, guys know what they’re doing. We’re playing fast, guys are playing faster and stronger, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”