In the ever-evolving college recruiting landscape, social media has transformed into the sharpest tool in drawing attention from the next level.

It’s all about self-marketing.

Typically, the first piece of information listed atop a prospect’s profile — whether it be Twitter or one of the many prevalent online recruiting databases — are their “measurables.” This includes everything from height, weight and leaping ability, to bench-press milestones and various other strength and agility drills.

However, there is one timed sprint that stands out amidst this dense collection of data and has become synonymous with recruiting at every level: The 40-yard dash.

Justly or not, this speed-based number — which is utilized in assessing every position group on the field, including linemen — can elevate, or diminish, an individual’s stock amongst college recruiters based on what is an objectively miniscule amount of time.

Each position has its own tiers, but for the speediest groups like running backs, receivers and defensive backs, anything below 4.7 seconds is considered universally “fast.” A productive high school player with decent size that runs below a 4.65 will almost certainly find himself being recruited by multiple Division I and Division II programs with the upper-echelon of national prospects hovering in the 4.4 to 4.5 range. To put everything in perspective, only 17 of the more than 150 prospects posted a 4.38 or faster at the 2021 NFL Combine.

Recalibrating to the high school level — and more specifically, the Big Southeast District — players are getting faster and faster every year, or at least that’s what it seems like. In the current hyper-digital college recruiting era, measurables circulate quickly online and are instantly accessible by anyone with a smart phone or a computer.

Since not every potential college football prospect in the Big Southeast District publishes their respective numbers, it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly how many players have posted a sub-4.7 in the 40, but it’s probably somewhere between 35 to 50. For instance, OHS alone will square off against at least three teams this fall that have multiple players in the 4.5 to 4.65 range.

Though not every speed-burner transforms into an all-state player — just as not every all-state player is a speed-burner — there are a few that set themselves apart and complement their raw speed with a range of other useful physical traits. Below are a few such players that will take the field against the Huskies this fall.

Cayden Holcomb, Rochester Mayo, senior

Position: WR/DB/KR

40-yard dash: 4.63 seconds

Against the Huskies: Week 1

College prospects: Recently received his first official offer from Division II University of Mary in North Dakota

Breakdown: Holcomb isn’t big, standing around 5-foot-9 and weighing no more than 170 pounds, but what he lacks in great size, he more than makes up for in other areas such as vision, footwork and instincts — not to mention pure athleticism.

As a two-way starter, the incoming senior finished third on the team in tackles with 39 last year and led the district in interceptions with five. On offense, he ended near the top of the Red Division with 538 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns on special teams.

His physical frame makes it tough to project exactly where he will eventually land at the next level, but Holcomb has been a huge part of Mayo’s offense since his freshman season and is perhaps the most electric player the Huskies will face in 2021.

Carter Holcomb, Rochester Mayo, sophomore

Position: WR/DB

40-yard dash: 4.64 seconds

Against the Huskies: Week 1

College prospects: N/A

Breakdown: Less than a year removed from junior high football, Carter Holcomb exploded onto the scene as a freshman last fall and was a big play waiting to happen, snatching 19 passes and leading the team in yards-per-reception (18.3) and receiving touchdowns (3).

Similar to his brother, the younger Holcomb lacks elite size, weighing just 155 pounds, but he’s just as fast, elusive and athletic. Plus, he's still just an underclassman and might not be done growing. Either way, it will be interesting to see how is career pans out over the next three seasons and where he winds up on the college radar, because he’s off to a phenomenal start.

Mehki Collins, Mankato West, senior

Position: WR/DB

40-yard dash: 4.55 seconds

Against the Huskies: Week 3

College prospects: Committed to Iowa State

Breakdown: Mehki Collins is one of those rare southern Minnesota prospects that pretty much checks all the boxes, or at least enough to garner multiple scholarship offers from the highest level of Division I college football.

As a national 3-star recruit and the second-ranked wide receiver in the state of Minnesota for the Class of 2022, the 6-5, 205-pound senior is a rare breed amongst his peers in the Big Southeast District. His speed allows him to take the top off the defense while his length and catch-radius make him a threat on 50-50 ball and routes across the middle. As a junior he led the district in receiving touchdowns with nine and averaged 17.5 yards-per-catch and 65 yards-per-game.

Collins — who is also a standout basketball player — has been contributing at the varsity level since his sophomore season and will test his skills in the Big 12 Conference starting next year at Iowa State. He chose the Cyclones over Kansas State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Eastern Michigan and Air Force.

Ryan Haley, Mankato West, senior

Position: MLB

40-yard dash: 4.51 seconds

Against the Huskies: Week 3

College prospects: Attended camp at Brown University of the Ivy League and is on the radar several other D-I, D-II and NAIA programs

Breakdown: Ironically, the fastest guy on this list rarely even touched the ball during his breakout junior season. Instead, Ryan Haley used his high-end speed and unique intelligence (4.2 GPA) to dominate on defense.

As a junior, he racked up 60 tackles, a league-high 14 tackles-for-loss and three sacks while earning the Big Southeast Defensive Player of the Year award.

Unsurprisingly, Haley — who measures 6-feet and 205 pounds — has attracted attention from some of the top academic colleges and universities from throughout the country. He attended the Brown University camp in July and is also being recruited by the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. 

Anthony Moe-Tucker, Kasson-Mantorville, senior

Position: RB/LB

40-yard dash: 4.65 seconds

Against the Huskies: Week 8

College prospects: Attended camps at the University of Minnesota and Wisconsin and has garnered interest from a wide range of Division I FCS and Division II programs

Breakdown: Weighing-in at a sturdy 215 pounds and standing close to 6-feet with a wrestler’s mentality, Anthony Moe-Tucker embraces contact and has flattened his share of opponents over the last couple years. He’s a tough runner and not someone defenders enjoy meeting in the hole, or anywhere else on the field for that matter. But what truly sets him apart, isn’t what he does when he’s running someone over, it’s what he does after he’s done running someone over that has put him on the radar.

It’s all about that speed.

Moe-Tucker’s statistical output validates the 4.65 seconds he lists aside his 40-yard dash on Twitter. The senior averaged less than 11 carries per-game last year, but needed just 67 touches to reach 484 yards and four touchdowns. His 7.2 yards-per-carry was the best in the district of any player with at least 40 attempts.

He’s received offers from numerous D-I FCS and D-II programs and is listed as the No. 8-ranked “Athlete” in the state of Minnesota for the Class of 2022 according to Prep Redzone.

Brooks Buchanan, Kasson-Mantorville, senior

Position: RB/DB

40-yard dash: 4.65 seconds

Against the Huskies: Week 8

College prospects: Drawn interest from mainly regional Division III programs

Breakdown: Though not as highly-regarded as a pure prospect, Buchanan is similar to teammate Anthony Moe-Tucker in that he possesses an ideal blend of size (6-1, 185) to balance his speed.

Last season, Buchanan spent most of his time at defensive back and earned honorable mention status in the Blue Division. On the other side of the ball, he was one of seven players that saw at least 15 carries for the KoMets, but averaged just 3.6 yards-per-attempt and scored one touchdown. Despite not posting flashing offensive numbers, the incoming senior will almost certainly find himself on a college roster someday due to his intriguing blend of physical tools.