Speedy 4-star WR Brenen Thompson signs with Texas

The Texas Longhorns wide receiver room just added some much-needed speed, as Spearman speedster Brenen Thompson has officially signed with head coach Steve Sarkisian’s program during the early signing period on Wednesday.

The lone receiver commit in Texas’ 2022 class as of Wednesday morning, Thompson was among the most sought-after pass-catching prospects in the country, owning 36 offers before ultimately taking his talents to Texas on Oct. 6, siding with the Horns over options including Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma State, Oregon, and Texas A&M.

Fortunately for the Longhorns, Thompson weathered the storm that was the 2021 Texas season, which saw Sark’s team slog to a 5-7 finish with uncertainties along the offensive line, quarterback, and at receiver. Now, Thompson’s officially a Longhorn, and he’s one who could have an impact much sooner than later, especially with the recent addition of Ohio State transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers.

BON’s Daniel Seahorn detailed what Texas is getting in the No. 12 wide receiver prospect.

Let’s just go ahead and get the obvious out of the way in regards to Thompson. The kid can absolutely GO whether the ball is in his hands or not. Thompson has the kind of speed that erases angles and blows hamstrings of defenders trying to stay with him in coverage. Thompson possesses legitimate sprinter speed and it translates to the field when he puts the pads on.

You don’t want to find yourself in space with Thompson because more times than not he is going to win the battle. Thompson will immediately bring special teams value the moment he touches campus as a kick returner and it will be a surprise to nobody if he takes a few touchdowns to the house early in his career.

Thompson possesses a slight frame at his listed 5’10, 165 pounds, so he is not going to be the type of receiver that will muscle up on defensive backs. He is a guy you will have to scheme into space and get creative with how he gets his touches early as he adapts to the speed of the college game.

Thompson also plays all over the field for Spearman, so it is no surprise that he is a bit raw as a route runner at this stage in his development. Back on the plus side of things, Thompson does display solid hands, good ball skills, and the ability to play bigger than his measurables at times on tape. He has the potential to be an absolute menace after the catch due to his speed and elusiveness once he adjusts to the collegiate game and is up to speed on the offense.

Thompson joins a Texas wide receiver room that can certainly afford an injection of explosive young talent, and he’s exactly that. Texas will get a fair amount of talent back into the mix when injured players like Troy Omeire and Jaden Alexis fully recover, but they’re entirely unproven on the field due to their respective injuries, and elsewhere, it’s safe to assume only Xavier Worthy’s starting role is secure.

To be sure, it would be unfair to expect Thompson to arrive in the summer and almost immediately emerge as a star-caliber talent as Worthy did, but he’s going to be one of the more explosive options Texas has from the moment he arrives. So, Thompson entering 2022 among the two-deep is very much a possibility, and if Texas’ returners can’t take advantage of the offseason to solidify the rotation around Worthy, he could become Sark’s second true freshman starter at receiver in two seasons.

A consensus four-star prospect, Thompson is ranked as the No. 82 player nationally and the No. 15 recruit in Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.