The Week 6 slate of the 2023 college football season did not disappoint. In fact, the slate saw multiple highlight-reel moments, some terrible endings, and some incredibly fast plays.
The fastest players of Week 6 are below, and they’re highlighted by two separate appearances from Florida State Seminoles RB Trey Benson.
College Football’s Fastest Players: Week 6
Take a look at the fastest players from each week during the 2023 season: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
Courtesy of our friends at Reel Analytics, the fastest ball carriers are tracked from every game across the country. To find out more about RA and how they track their data, find them below:
RAnalytics on Twitter | Reel Analytics via NetCapital
Honorable Mention
Before we get to the countdown, here are a few of the fastest players in Week 6 that didn’t quite make the top 10.
- Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten – 20.8 mph
- Montana RB Eli Gillman – 20.8 mph
- North Carolina WR Kobe Paysour – 20.8 mph
- Louisville RB Jawhar Jordan – 20.7 mph
- Wisconsin DB Ricardo Hallman – 20.6 mph
- NC State FB/TE Trent Pennix – 20.6 mph
- Kansas WR Trevor Wilson – 20.5 mph
- North Texas RB Ayo Adeyi – 20.5 mph
- UMass WR Anthony Simpson – 20.2 mph
- Ohio State DB Josh Proctor – 20.1 mph
- Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson – 20.1 mph
- Michigan CB Will Johnson – 20.0 mph
- Delaware WR Chandler Harvin – 20.0 mph
T10) Antario Brown, RB, Northern Illinois: 20.9 mph
On one of his four rushing touchdowns against Akron, Northern Illinois Huskies RB Antario Brown reached one of the 10 fastest speeds of Week 6. Brown took a direct snap, made a defender miss behind the line of scrimmage, bounced the carry outside, and outran the entire Zips defense.
T10) Will Sheppard, WR, Vanderbilt: 20.9 mph
Vanderbilt Commodores WR Will Sheppard clocked 20.9 as his max speed on his 85-yard touchdown against the Florida Gators. Sheppard high-pointed a football over a defender and left the entire Gators’ defense in the dust.
Casual 20.9 mph top speed for Will Sheppard. To put it simply: dude’s a stud.pic.twitter.com/r1WaoQSfHp
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 12, 2023
9) Peny Boone, RB, Toledo: 21.0 mph
The first of two Toledo Rockets on the list, RB Peny Boone hit 21.0 mph just at the right time against UMass. Nearing the goalline with two defenders closing in, Boone hit the afterburners to reach his top speed for six points.
8) Trey Benson, RB, Florida State: 21.1 mph
The first of two times we see Benson on this list, the Seminoles running back saw a crease and exploited it against Virgina Tech. His vision is exceptional on the play and only pales in comparison to the fact that his speed topped out at 21.1 mph, outrunning the entire Tech defense.
Trey Benson, certified speedster 💨💨
21.1 mph via @RAanalytics pic.twitter.com/PJS9AUHgEv
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 11, 2023
7) Abu Sama, RB, Iowa State: 21.2 mph
The highlight of the day for the Iowa State Cyclones, RB Abu Sama clocked 21.2 mph at the right time after he made a second-level defender miss in the box. Sama cruised for a 54-yard touchdown run as no one could catch him.
6) Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy: 21.3 mph
Pushing his way through the Arkansas State defense with ease, Troy Trojans RB Kimani Vidal reached 21.3 mph at the right time on a decisive touchdown carry. He squirted through a tiny hole in the offense line and simply outpaced the Red Wolves defense.
Troy RB Kimani Vidal took his foot off the gas after cruising through the ARST defense, reaching 21.3 mph.
This guy is so damn talented.pic.twitter.com/IkUptGtJDf
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 12, 2023
5) Chandler Rogers, QB, North Texas: 21.7 mph
Long-striding his way to the end zone, North Texas Mean Green QB Chandler Rogers gave Navy a taste of their own medicine in Week 6. Rogers skirted through the middle of the Midshipmen’s defense and blitzed through the second and third levels by reaching his max speed of 21.7 mph halfway through the 75-yard touchdown run.
4) Dequan Finn, QB, Toledo: 21.9 mph
A long mesh point and a perfect read-option keeper from Toledo QB Dequan Finn was ultimately the difference-maker in Week 6. Finn pulled the ball and sprinted past the entire UMass defense, giving the Rockets the lead back in the third quarter.
Look at Dequan Finn destroying angles from tacklers while reaching 21.9 mph 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4F1CnW0Jm7
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 11, 2023
3) Trey Benson, RB, Florida State: 22.0 mph
Perhaps the most impressive top speed of the whole bunch is Benson’s 22.0 mph flat. At 6’1″ and 233 pounds, Benson reached even higher than his first mark on this list when he took a handoff from Jordan Travis and beat the defense to the outside on an 85-yard touchdown run. Benson single-handedly destroyed what looked to be a good angle by a Virginia Tech defender in the process.
That’s 6’1”, 223 of Trey Benson reaching 22.0 mph on this 85-yard TD run.
That’s unfair. pic.twitter.com/zRASRicEvo
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 11, 2023
2) Kapena Gushiken, DB, Washington State: 22.4 mph
He may not have even needed to reach his top speed, but Kapena Gushiken’s 22.4 mph reached on his interception return for a touchdown was certainly impressive. He tipped a Dante Moore pass to himself before nabbing the pick at the 12-yard line, sprinting past Moore and putting his Washington State Cougars team back on top, reaching max speed nearly right away.
1) Brandon Buckhaulter, WR, UAB: 22.6 mph
Blink and you would’ve missed UAB Blazers WR Brandon Buckhaulter. Taking a jet sweep from right to left, Buckhaulter came right at the TV angle, blew by USF defenders, and had more than enough speed to celebrate his 75-yard touchdown run from the 20-yard line he’d left the defense behind so far.
College Football’s Fastest Five of the Week:
1. @UAB_FB WR Brandon Buckhaulter (@KvngBman) 22.6 mph #ReelSpeed 💨
🎥: @ESPNCFB
🔗 https://t.co/orrD059ykP pic.twitter.com/EPe5egf5Hl
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) October 11, 2023
Find where these speeds rank among the fastest players of the 2023 season here.