2026 NCAA sprint preview: World leaders Kayinsola Ajayi (9.84) & Samuel Ogazi (43.82) ready to challenge NCAA records

By Jordan Cheng

Editor’s note: The 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin on Wednesday in Eugene, Ore. Sprint fanatic and LRC visitor Jordan Cheng, a student at Cal State-Long Beach who previewed the men’s sprints ahead of NCAA indoors, is back with his preview of the men’s sprints ahead of NCAA outdoors this week. Do you want to be a guest contributor and maybe preview the women’s sprints? We don’t have time to do it all. Email us at letsrun@letsrun.com.

Men’s 100 meters: Kayinsola Ajayi is the favorite, will the collegiate record fall?

On May 12, Auburn’s Kayinsola Ajayi jogged through his heat of the 100m at the SEC championships. Ajayi, a World Championship finalist in Tokyo last year, eased up at the line; after all, it was only a preliminary round. Unfortunately for Ajayi, he eased up a millisecond early, and his teammate Tyler Davis outleaned him at the lane. 

Davis would make the final. Ajayi would watch from the stands. 

Two weeks later at the East regionals, Ajayi would leave nothing to chance. After running 9.90 in his first race, Ajayi blasted a 9.84 (+0.7) in his second, a world lead and the second-fastest collegiate mark ever. 

Ajayi, who was also the indoor 60m champion, is the clear favorite for the 100m title at NCAAs, and Christian Coleman‘s 2017 NCAA record of 9.82 could be in danger. As part of the famously well-periodized Auburn team (the Tigers qualified five men to NCAAs in the 100!), he will be a fearsome opponent indeed this week in Eugene.

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Could anyone challenge Ajayi? It’s always possible, given the small margin of error in the 100 meters. If anyone is to challenge Ajayi, it will likely be one of the following men: 

• Jelani Watkins (Arkansas 9.95/9.82w). Watkins, this year’s SEC 100m champion, will be pulling triple duty between the 100, 200, and 4×100.
• Louie Hinchcliffe (Houston, 10.01/9.97w). The 2024 NCAA champion signed a pro deal with Asics last year but returned to Houston in 2026 and was ruled eligible to compete by the NCAA. He hasn’t shown the same form that propelled him to an NCAA title, but he’s won before and will be a danger to do so again.
• Mustapha Bokpin (Middle Tennessee, 9.94). The 25-year-old Ghanaian, who was 2nd at last year’s NAIA championships for Cumberland, announced himself on the national stage at the Conference USA championships, where he won the 100 in a wind-legal 9.94.
• Mason Lawyer (Arizona, 10.03/9.93w). Lawyer, formerly of Washington State, transferred to Arizona and hasn’t slowed a step in winning the Big 12 100m title.
• Eddie Nketia (USC, 10.06/9.74w). At the Big 10 championships, the 25-year-old Nketia stormed to the conference title in 9.74, aided by gale-winds of +5.6. However, Nketia, who was born in New Zealand and now represents Australia, has shown consistency and speed in winning 100m matchups this season.
• Neo Mosebi (Florida State, 9.98/9.96w). The South African Mosebi hasn’t had the best record during the regular season, but as 2025 and 2026 ACC champion, he clearly performs when the lights are brightest.
• Traunard Folson (Tennessee, 10.03/9.93w). Folson separates himself from the others on this list by being the only man to have beaten Ajayi in a 100m final this year, doing so at the East Coast Relays in Jacksonville on May 2.

It’s also worth discussing who WON’T be at NCAAs:

• Garrett Kaalund (USC, 9.90w). The indoor collegiate 200m record holder picked up an injury at his conference championships. 
• T’Mars McCallum (Tennessee, 9.83). McCallum made Worlds last year after running 9.83 at USAs but hasn’t looked like the same sprinter in the time since, having failed to break 10.2 this year.

Author’s pick: Between his 60m title, Auburn’s record at championships, and general dominance in the 100 this season, I have a difficult time picking anyone other than Kayinsola Ajayi. In case you are wondering, the men’s 100m NCAA record belongs to Christian Coleman and it’s 9.82 from 2017.

Men’s 200 meters: Jelani Watkins is the favorite

SEC champion Jelani Watkins (Arkansas) has yet to be challenged this year and is the collegiate leader at 19.87. However, the collegiate leader going into NCAA regionals would end up winning the crown only twice over the past 10 championships, so Watkins, despite being unbeaten, is far from invincible. 

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NCAA regular-season leader, eventual champion? 

2015: No
2016: No
2017: No
2018: No
2019: Yes (Divine Odudure, Texas Tech)
2021: No
2022: No
2023: No
2024: No
2025: Yes (Carli Makarawu, Kentucky)

Potential challengers include: 

• Mason Lawyer (Arizona), who won the Big 12 championships by a large margin, running 20.02 into a headwind.
• Israel Okon (Auburn), who ran 19.94 at the East regional, the top time between both regions. Okon was only third at SECs, but is part of a team that has historically performed well at nationals.
• Mustapha Bokpin (Middle Tennessee), the 2025 NAIA champion, who made himself known at the Conference USA championships, winning the 100 and 200 with wind-legal times of 9.94 and 20.26. 

Notable casualties so far include:

• Indoor collegiate record holder Garrett Kaalund (USC, 19.85) 
• SEC runner-up Denzel Simusiaela (Kentucky, 19.98 pb) 
• American conference champion Rashun Fountain (East Carolina, 19.98 +3.4) 

Author’s pick: I’m going to go against popular opinion here and pick Okon for the win. Watkins will be pulling triple duty, while Okon hasn’t been on Auburn’s 4 x 100 and is unlikely to run it in Eugene. Watkins is the collegiate leader and has looked good during the regular season, but history says that is not the be-all-end-all. 

Men’s 400 meters: Must-watch tv

If there is one sprint event you should watch at this year’s NCAA championships, it is the men’s 400m. 

The regional races this year were, quite simply, a bloodbath. Whether it’s bicarb, super spikes, or something else, 400m depth has exploded worldwide the past few years, and the NCAA has been no exception. 45.63, which would have been the top qualifying time in the 2023 East regional, didn’t make it out of the West this year, and 45.02, which would have made almost every single NCAA final in history, didn’t make it out of the East.

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Despite the competition, Samuel Ogazi (Alabama, 43.82), the world leader, Olympic finalist for Nigeria, and reigning NCAA champion, remains the heavy favorite. Here are his biggest challengers:

• Jonathan Simms (Georgia), indoor runner-up and 3rd placer at NCAAs, also the only collegian to have beaten Ogazi over 400m during the 2025 and 2026 seasons, when he ran 44.02 at the Spec Towns invitational in April. Simms is a true freshman.
• Justin Braun (Florida). Braun, who recovered from a series of injuries at USC, ran 43.99 on the heels of Ogazi at the East regional and has some of the best speed in the field, having run a world-class 6.55 over 60m.
• Jordan Pierre (Arkansas). After a meteoric rise to the top last year, which concluded with a 3rd-place finish at NCAAs, Pierre transferred from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff to the University of Arkansas. He quickly adjusted and turned into one of the best quarter milers in the country, having snatched up NCAA indoor bronze and SEC runner-up medals with his consistently strong final 100m.
• Jayden Davis (Arizona) has been mostly absent from the headlines for much of the season, but has been a notable contender during his time in the NCAA, and boasts a PR of 44.29 to match the Big 12 championship he won earlier this year
  
• Jack Staldman (USC) is a true freshman, but that hasn’t stopped him from crushing the Big 10 and winning indoor and outdoor conference titles. He might not have the fastest time in comparison to other podium contenders, having run his PR of 44.79 at the West regional, but he is a competitor with the x-factor required to win championships. If he’s in the final, expect him to make an impact.
• Sidi Nije (Georgia) hasn’t shown the same level of consistency as some of the others on this list, but his PR of 44.24 run at the East regional makes him a threat for the podium any year. 

Notable casualties so far include: 

• Josiah Wrice (South Carolina, 44.72), the SEC 4th place finisher 
• Edidiong Udo (Ohio State, 44.91), the Big 10 runner-up 
• William Jones (USC, 44.65), the 2025 runner-up 

Author’s pick: Despite an extraordinarily competitive field, I cannot in good conscience choose anyone other than Ogazi, who has risen to the occasion every time he has needed to. 

Men’s 110-meter hurdles: All eyes will be on Tharp

When the last race an athlete in an NCAA field lost was the World Championship final, you know you’re in for a treat. 

Ja’Kobe Tharp (Auburn) is the two-time NCAA indoor 60mh champion, defending NCAA 110mh champion, defending USA champion, and has not lost a 110mh race this year, including preliminaries. Tharp has run under 13.10 four times this year, including a 13.05 into a 1.0 headwind at SECs. Given favorable conditions, Grant Holloway’s collegiate and NCAA meet record of 12.98 is likely to be under threat. 

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Tharp is the clear favorite, but amazingly, he is not the collegiate leader this year.

Here are some additional names to watch: 

• Kendrick Smallwood (Texas, 13.04). The Texas junior ran 13.04 into a negative 0.4 headwind, marking him as another potential prospect to break the collegiate record. However, he has yet to show the same championship pedigree as Tharp, who beat him at SECs, 13.05 to 13.12. In fact, in all of their matchups, Smallwood has only won once, at the 2025 SEC championships.
• Malachi Snow (Texas Tech, 13.18/13.08w). Snow has some of the best speed in the field, owning a 10.00 100m PR from two years ago. He’s shown flashes of brilliance in the hurdles, winning a number of conference titles, but he has yet to translate that to the national level.
• Bradley Franklin (Samford, 13.24/13.07w). Franklin’s 13.24 wind-legal PR is the slowest among the men mentioned here, but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous, having gone through remarkable improvement in the past year and going from a national qualifier to a multi-time conference champion and NCAA indoor runner-up. 

Rising stars

The 110mh switches from 39 inches to 42 inches going from high school to college, a considerable obstacle for many of the best junior hurdlers who take years to adjust to the height, if they adjust at all. It’s rare to see a true freshman amongst the best hurdlers in the nation, which is why it’s worth keeping an eye on Le’Ezra Brown (Georgia) and Ja’Shaun Lloyd (Texas State), both NCAA qualifiers, over the next few seasons. 

Author’s pick: Do I need to say it twice? Tharp FTW. 

Men’s 400-meter hurdles

The 400m hurdles might not have the renown of the 100m, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. Kody Blackwood (Texas, 48.26) comes in as the favorite, being the SEC champion and undefeated in the event this year, but he won’t be uncontested in Eugene because Ja’Qualon Scott (Texas A&M, 48.22) won’t make it easy for him. Scott is the NCAA leader in the event and also the top returner after finishing 2nd last year.

Two other names to keep an eye on: 

• Andres Langston (Duke, 48.86). Langston strode to a dominant victory at the ACC championships, winning by more than a second, an enormous margin at this level, and followed it up with a large PR at the west regionals.
• Vance Nilsson (Florida, 48.77). Nilsson broke new ground as a high schooler, running 34.83 in the 300m hurdles to become the first high schooler under 35 seconds in the event and shattering a long-standing record in the process. While that record has since been broken, Nilsson has adjusted well to the collegiate ranks, taking third place at the SEC championships with a new PR, despite a rough 10th hurdle. Two weeks later, he matched his PR at the East regional and looked easy doing it. 

SEC bronze medalist, former world leader, and NCAA #3 Mohamed Adioni (Georgia, 48.75) won’t be in Eugene, missing out at the East regional by one spot.

Author’s pick: “Undefeated” means a lot in any sprint event, regardless of how fast you run. I think Kody Blackwood takes this one. 

Men’s 4 x 100 relay

Auburn lost two members of the relay that propelled them to an NCAA championship in 2025, but that hasn’t slowed them a step. In addition to being the NCAA leaders and SEC champions, their B team owns the third-fastest time in the country. 

Could anyone challenge them? It’s always possible in the 4×100, where a single mistimed step among four men could spell disaster. Here are a few teams to watch out for: 

• LSU (38.35). Dennis Shaver’s sprint squad will always be in contention for a title, and the 2023 edition of the Tigers are the NCAA record holders in the event. LSU also holds the second-fastest time in the NCAA this year. 
• Minnesota (38.44). Minnesota appeared last season as an unlikely contender for the national title following a shocking upset at the Big 10 championships, eventually ending their season with a seventh-place finish in Eugene. They’ve remained at the top of their game this year, boasting the #4 mark in the country. 
• Tennessee (38.51). The Volunteers will return to Eugene after taking 5th last year. Their individuals haven’t looked the same this year, but there should be little doubt about their ability to perform following a third-place finish at SECs this year. 
• Arkansas (38.53). The Razorbacks might have lost star sprinter Jordan Anthony, but former LSU athlete Jelani Watkins has brought the team right back to where they were prior. Arkansas took third last year at NCAAs, and still appears to be a threat after taking fourth at SECs. 

Author’s pick: If they execute like they should come race day, Auburn takes this one for sure. 

Men’s 4 x 400 relay

There isn’t much better than a close 4 x 400, and this year’s edition could be one for the ages. Winning the 4 x 400 title is typically reliant on several things: a solid quartet with no overall weaknesses, star power, and a culture of success. What makes this year’s race so intriguing is that each of the top teams enter with a combination of the above. 

First, let’s look at the past ten 4×400 champions: 

Past 10 champions

2025: South Florida
2024: Texas A&M
2023: Florida
2022: Florida
2021: North Carolina A&T
2019: Texas A&M
2018: USC
2017: Texas A&M
2016: LSU
2015: LSU

Each of the teams that have won more than one championship in that timeframe will be represented this week in Eugene. Indoor champions South Carolina did not make it through regionals. Here’s some more information about the teams that did.

• Texas A&M (3:00.77). The Aggies will miss star anchor Auhmad Robinson, but will still be a threat for the title following their 4th place finish at SECs and #1 qualifying spot at the West regional.
• Florida (3:00.31). If there is one thing coach Mike Holloway’s Gators know how to do, it’s run a 4 x 400. The 2023 Florida team are the collegiate record holders in the event, and still appear dangerous this year with a team featuring Nicholas Spikes (45.02 SB) and Justin Braun (43.99 SB). 
• LSU (2:58.47). LSU might not have any major stars or records to their name, but that hasn’t stopped them from running the #1 time in the nation this year and winning the SEC title by a huge margin, nearly two seconds. They also boast impressive depth, with three men on their squad who have run 45.01 or better this season. 

Here are three other teams that could be threats for the title: 

• Arkansas (3:00.62). The ever-present Razorbacks feature Jordan Pierre (44.15) on anchor, so keep an eye out for the hard-closing Pierre in the final lap of the race. They took third at the SEC championships. 
• Alabama (3:01.64). Alabama doesn’t have the fastest season best compared to others in the field, but have enormous potential upside in Samuel Ogazi (43.82 SB) and Tarsis Orogot, the latter of whom has split sub-44 on legs for the Crimson Tide. 
• Georgia (2:59.75). The Bulldogs boast a devastating 1-2 punch with Sidi Nije (44.24 SB) and Jonathan Simms (44.02 SB). Simms split 43.29 at the East regional, one of the fastest collegiate splits of all time, so it’s exciting to speculate on what he and the Georgia team could produce when the lights are brightest. 

Author’s pick: This one is difficult. There are solid reasons to pick any of the teams here, but I’m going with Georgia, who ran 2:59.75 at the East regional with much more in the tank.