Inspired by Bruce Feldman’s Annual Freak List for The Athletic, Florida Gators on SI came up with their own version that focused solely on Jon Sumrall’s team. Dylan Olive, who created the list for SI, had some surprises in store for Florida fans. The biggest one was about the speed that a Florida wide receiver clocked this fall.
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“Eric Singleton was clocked at 23.32 MPH this fall, faster than any college or NFL player has ever run in a live game,” Olive wrote on X. That feat meant that Singleton was No. 2 on Olive’s Florida Freaks List.
It must be noted that Singleton Jr. has not set an official all-time speed record in the game. However, he is the fastest player if we bring the practice records into consideration.
The hype surrounding his speed stems from GPS tracking data. It showed him hitting 23 miles per hour (mph) on a catapult tracking vest during team practices. This puts him in a rare category of human speed, though it is slightly behind the fastest ever recorded in the modern era.
“He’s an Olympic fast-type runner,” coach Jon Sumrall said about Singleton Jr. “… He can run-run.”
Clocking 23.32 mph on a GPS vest places Singleton Jr in the top tier of all gridiron athletes. Scouts and analysts estimate his true 40-yard dash time sits in the low 4.2-second range. That makes him a lock for one of the fastest wide receivers in college football ahead of the 2026 season. His pure track mechanics back up his football speed. He was a former Georgia 6A state high school champion in both the 100 meters and the 400 meters.
StatsBomb previously clocked his deep-route average tracking speed at 20.84 mph during game situations, proving his track speed translates directly into fully padded SEC competition.
Before the summer training cycle, the fastest active players in the room were tracking between 22.0 and 22.74 mph. Singleton arrived with a spring peak of 22.74 mph before shattering his own personal record to hit 23.32 mph. This effectively moved him past every other receiver on the current roster, including speedsters like TJ Abrams (who recently jumped from 20 to 22 mph).
Singleton transferred to Florida in January 2026 after stints at Georgia Tech and Auburn. He is being heavily relied upon by Gators head coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to serve as a vertical, deep-threat weapon.
Under offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, Singleton was utilized as a vertical, deep-threat weapon out wide at Georgia Tech. This explosive role is what put him on the map as one of the country’s premium deep threats.
The wide receiver had a short stint at Auburn. While he caught a career-high 58 passes at Auburn, his total yardage dropped significantly. Auburn primarily utilized his 23+ mph track speed in the slot for underneath routes. It severely limited his yards-per-catch average.
A major reason Singleton transferred to the Florida Gators is that Buster Faulkner is now the offensive coordinator. Analysts predict his deep-threat production will heavily bounce back as he is reunited with the coach who knows how to maximize his record-breaking speed.
A few of the fastest players in history
During a max-velocity conditioning drill, team staffers verified that Tyrell Russell reached an astonishing 24.7 mph on his GPS tracker. Nyck Harbour clocked the fastest in-game play of the prior season, hitting 22.4 mph on a 64-yard touchdown reception. He stands at 6′ 5″ and 242 lbs. The combination of his size and speed is unmatched. Harbour had even previously declined an invitation to the U.S. Olympic Trials as a 200-metre sprinter.
During his college tenure, Tyler Owen had his speed recorded at a blistering 23.06 mph during an in-game evaluation, which stood as one of the highest numbers ever verified at the collegiate level.
The fastest ball-carrier speed ever recorded by NFL Next Gen Stats belongs to Tyreek Hill. He reached 23.24 mph during a 2016 kickoff return with the Kansas City Chiefs.
