Ryan Niblett already owns a spot in the Texas Longhorns’ speed conversation, but he’s not putting himself at the top of it.
The return specialist, who turned heads last season with two massive punt-return touchdowns, said the fastest Longhorn debate should also include Kohen Brown, Ryan Wingo and Warren Roberson. That’s a pretty serious shortlist for a team that clearly has some wheels.
Niblett’s own explosiveness showed up in the biggest moments. He ripped a 79-yard punt return against Mississippi State and a 75-yarder against Oklahoma.
The Mississippi State score tied the game at 38-38 before Texas went on to win 45-38 in overtime. Against Oklahoma, Niblett was reportedly clocked at 20.8 mph.
His track background matches the burst. At Aldine Eisenhower High School, he ran 10.58 in the 100 meters and 22.14 in the 200. He enters 2026 as a first-team preseason All-American and is also on the Paul Hornung Award watch list.
Still, when the Austin American-Statesman asked him about the fastest player on the roster, Niblett passed on claiming the title for himself.
“I don’t like to put myself in there. I’m very humble,” he told the Austin American-Statesman.
The most intriguing name he mentioned might be Brown. The freshman receiver is listed at 6-0, 210 pounds and reportedly reached 23.1 mph during summer conditioning, which is the kind of number that gets noticed fast in a locker room.
Wingo has speed of his own. The junior receiver ran 10.55 in the 100 meters in high school and reportedly hit 22 mph on a catch last season. He also comes with a 97 speed rating in EA Sports College Football 27, so the video-game crowd has something to point to as well.
Roberson is the wildcard in the group. The senior defensive back didn’t put up the same eye-popping high school track times, but Niblett clearly sees enough football speed there to keep him in the mix.
How you sort them depends on what kind of speed you care about. Brown and Wingo make the case on the track side. Niblett has already made his case in live action.
Either way, if he’s only one of four players worth debating, Texas is moving at a pretty serious clip.
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