Random Q: HS Kids and 40 Times

[wickerpark wildcat]

Constantly seeing Twitter/Hudl profiles or recruiting site write-ups that say a kid is running 4.5 40's (or better). I bet in 15 min I could find a dozen local kids making that claim (or someone making that claim for them). For comparison sake, all Big Ten Illini WR & Broncos 3rd round pick Pat Bryant ran 4.61 at the combine. Pat isn't a burner by NFL standards, but still extremely hard for me to believe there are dozens of HS juniors in IL faster than a 22 year old Pat Bryant. I know some of this might be hand timed vs. laser timed, but plenty of these kids will say "laser time verified" or what have you.

So, does anyone have any insight into this? Innocent explanation- even within laser timing, there are different systems and so the kid is in fact recording a 4.5 on some system and reporting this, but that system somehow gives faster times than the ones used by NFL. Less innocent- people just exaggerate to look better. But in the second case, college coaches can't be dumb enough to believe those numbers, so what's the point of people posting them?

 

[Publichater6969]

Normally Laser timed is the most accurate. Hand timed can have a wide range of times because it all depends on who's stopping the watch. For any kid that is saying they are running a 4.4-4.5, I personally would take it with a grain of salt.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

I'll add, I knew a kid that for sure ran under a 4.5 but put the pads on him and he wasn't running by many.

 

[PowerI66]

It's very possible that those kids could be that fast, but also not that good. I can think of a lot of kids who look great getting off the bus, but make zero impact on the game.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

You can train to run a faster 40 as well but that doesn't mean it transfers to the field.

 

[colin2229]

most accurate way to see a kid legit time is to check their track times.

 

[mc140]

Hand times are worthless for speed. Track times FAT 55,60,100 can give you an idea on true speed. 10m and 30m flys are also good if they are done through a timing device. I fully believe a lot of kids in high school can run similar 40 times to high level college and pros. The difference is the college and pros weigh a lot more while running those times.

 

[wickerpark wildcat]

most accurate way to see a kid legit time is to check their track times.

Yes and I've definitely seen a number of kids who post a 4.5 40 and you can see on Athletic.net that they are high 11 or even 12 sec 100m times... the math doesn't work there. Trying to find a comparison... Omarion Hampton ran a 4.46 at the combine & he ran a 10.71 100m as a 12th grader. To date in 2025 season, 8 kids in IL have run 10.71 or better. Now, not all fast football players run track, but also probably most of the fastest track guys aren't playing football.

4.5 is flying and I doubt there are more than a handful of hs football players in the state who are running a true 4.5 (as measured by say NFL combine).

 

[ClownBaby]

Just wait until OP finds about the heights and weights that are listed on Hudl.

 

[wickerpark wildcat]

Just wait until OP finds about the heights and weights that are listed on Hudl.

I'm aware, but there's only so far you can exaggerate height and weight when people actually see with their eyes how big you are, and the exaggerations are probably fairly predictable (kids will list their w/shoes height and round up 5 or 10 lbs). The speed things seems to be complete wild west in what people report.

On a practical matter, as a dad seeing his son go through recruitment process, I hate encouraging any dishonesty but if you're telling the truth and all the other kids are exaggerating, you'll look bad by comparison.

 

[CCHS-Fan]

A sub-11 second 100 is crazy fast by HS standards in IL. If that kid plays FB, it will show.

FB 40 times are way over-stated, IMO. Garbage.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

I'm aware, but there's only so far you can exaggerate height and weight when people actually see with their eyes how big you are, and the exaggerations are probably fairly predictable (kids will list their w/shoes height and round up 5 or 10 lbs). The speed things seems to be complete wild west in what people report.

On a practical matter, as a dad seeing his son go through recruitment process, I hate encouraging any dishonesty but if you're telling the truth and all the other kids are exaggerating, you'll look bad by comparison.

Funny story, my Sr. Year I got listed at 6’2”190 in first game program. I was 5’11” 175. I had them change it to 6’ 180 lol.

 

[RoaminCatholic]

Ser Whitaker (Illini West 2011) remains the fastest human I've seen in-person in pads at the high school level.

His 40-time (in 2011) was something like 4.4 or in that ballpark for football.

He attended Mizzou on a track and field scholarship.

His outdoor 100m dash time at Mizzou was 10.81... His indoor 60m time was right at 7.00 or just above/below. (2015/2016)

The SEC record according to the interwebs for outdoor 100m dash is currently 9.82 seconds set by Christian Coleman of Tennessee in 2017.

Idk how to compare 40yd speeds with 100m speeds though... one is acceleration and getting to top speed as fast as possible while the other feels more like that plus maintaining top speed for the next 80 meters.

 

[EdgyTim]

At my showcase last night we used hand timing.....and I'm generally not a fan of doing any testing (let the colleges do that instead) but we do testing for The Stage spring one because they will need to run a 40 this summer at the college camps...again I'm still not a big fan.

Laser systems are incredibly expensive and very fragile and between Elias and JR we've gone through 2-3 different systems and scrapped the laser because of tech issues again.

Personally the only timing I trust is the ones I do on my own....and in this case I'm co hosting the camp and have already a million things to do so.....

I can pretty much count on one hand the amount of true sub 4.4 40's i've tested and sween in person for what over 30 years?

College coaches (usually at summer one day camps) will test kids on their own and those are the only times that matter....

 

[crusader_of_90]

4.42 - just above Luther and Lovett.

 

[StL_Alum]

Constantly seeing Twitter/Hudl profiles or recruiting site write-ups that say a kid is running 4.5 40's (or better). I bet in 15 min I could find a dozen local kids making that claim (or someone making that claim for them). For comparison sake, all Big Ten Illini WR & Broncos 3rd round pick Pat Bryant ran 4.61 at the combine. Pat isn't a burner by NFL standards, but still extremely hard for me to believe there are dozens of HS juniors in IL faster than a 22 year old Pat Bryant. I know some of this might be hand timed vs. laser timed, but plenty of these kids will say "laser time verified" or what have you.

So, does anyone have any insight into this? Innocent explanation- even within laser timing, there are different systems and so the kid is in fact recording a 4.5 on some system and reporting this, but that system somehow gives faster times than the ones used by NFL. Less innocent- people just exaggerate to look better. But in the second case, college coaches can't be dumb enough to believe those numbers, so what's the point of people posting them?

StL RB Harley Rizzs won state as a junior in the 100m (10.6) and the 4x1. I would imagine he is well below 4.5 in the 40. He had a great game against your Wildkits this football season too with three TDs. He is going to Arizona State as a football walk on and running track.

 

[Golden Warrior]

If someone told me Zach Washington (Wheaton SF) has run a 4.4, I'd believe it.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

If someone told me Zach Washington (Wheaton SF) has run a 4.4, I'd believe it.

He can scoot and he has those long strides.

 

[wickerpark wildcat]

StL RB Harley Rizzs won state as a junior in the 100m (10.6) and the 4x1. I would imagine he is well below 4.5 in the 40. He had a great game against your Wildkits this football season too with three TDs. He is going to Arizona State as a football walk on and running track.

I was shocked I didn’t hear more about him being recruited for football. What’s not to like?

Going into the game, told my son they better gang tackle and not let up until he’s down because if he breaks free 😱…. Easier said than done

 

[wickerpark wildcat]

New data point... Asked AI to give me NFL players with recorded 40's and 100 times. RG3 is probably best example. Guessing this is pretty representative. From this conversion, I'd say a kid almost surely has to be a sub 11 sec 100 guy (probably sub 10.9) in order to run a 4.5 & that is pretty darn rare. AI:

Robert Griffin III (RG3) recorded his official times as follows:

- 40-yard dash: 4.41 seconds at the 2012 NFL Combine
- 100m dash: 10.49 seconds during his track career at Baylor University in 2008

RG3 was an accomplished track athlete at Baylor before focusing fully on football. He was a Big 12 champion in the 400-meter hurdles in 2008 and 2009, and also competed in the 100m and 200m events. His 10.49-second 100m time was recorded during collegiate track competition while he was still balancing both football and track at Baylor.

 

[RoaminCatholic]

New data point... Asked AI to give me NFL players with recorded 40's and 100 times. RG3 is probably best example. Guessing this is pretty representative. From this conversion, I'd say a kid almost surely has to be a sub 11 sec 100 guy (probably sub 10.9) in order to run a 4.5 & that is pretty darn rare. AI:

Robert Griffin III (RG3) recorded his official times as follows:

- 40-yard dash: 4.41 seconds at the 2012 NFL Combine
- 100m dash: 10.49 seconds during his track career at Baylor University in 2008

RG3 was an accomplished track athlete at Baylor before focusing fully on football. He was a Big 12 champion in the 400-meter hurdles in 2008 and 2009, and also competed in the 100m and 200m events. His 10.49-second 100m time was recorded during collegiate track competition while he was still balancing both football and track at Baylor.

Solid pull with the RG3 40/100 times... I think for me the comparison definitely shows that some guys can accelerate much quicker than others. And in the 40 dash, you want to reach top speed as fast as humanly possible. Just cool to see some of these kids who post these numbers in high school to compare them with at least one dude who's made it to the highest level.