The world of track and field has seen one wonder kid after another this year. First, Quincy Wilson set up new records for the American Indoor championships for his age bracket. Next, it was the Aussie speedster, Gout Gout, who shocked everyone with a sub-10-second run that was faster than Usain Bolt at the same age. But as everyone settled in, now there’s yet another stalwart on the scene. Fresh from the Texas scene, he is trying to make his way into the 100m record books. But while the world is buzzing for him, one man has something surprising to say.

The name of the youngster? Brayden Williams. And what he did at the Class 6A Region II meet, which didn’t just break any record. No, it broke a record formerly set by the current 100m king, Noah Lyles. To fully grasp the weight of what he’s doing, you’ve got to zoom out. Lyles, the current sprint king, clocked 6.43 this year at 26 years old. Williams, meanwhile, is still in high school and already running 6.62. With such numbers, it’s no wonder that he caught the attention of David Robinson, aka Coach Rob.

The YouTuber and sports analyst has long followed the biggest prospects in high school track and field—even he was surprised. As Coach Rob said in disbelief in the YouTube Video, “9.82 seconds in the 100-meter dash—that is a performance that I never thought I would associate with a high school track and field athlete. But this is the world we’re living in because Braden Deshawn Williams just put down that performance on the board.” Now there is one catch, though: the time wasn’t wind legal with a tailwind of +6.0.

But while the performance won’t be recorded in the official books due to the wind, it’s being burned into everyone’s memory. Coach Rob doubled down, adding,

And those shockwaves are doing just that, reshaping how coaches, fans, and even sponsors talk about Duncanville High Senior. Already committed to the University of Georgia, his stock isn’t just rising. It’s soaring into new territory. “He’s not just a five-star recruit anymore,” Rob emphasized. But this moment didn’t just come out of nowhere.

Williams has been trending up all season, with a 9.99-second run at the Texas A&M Bluebonnet Invitational in College Station last month that already had fans talking, also wind-assisted, becoming the second Texan ever to deliver a sub-10-second 100m. A sign of things to come. He then pivoted back to indoors and stormed to the Nike Indoor Nationals 60m title, despite not being an indoor regular. That’s what makes his form so unique. It’s not just about one distance or one meet. It’s the consistency, the range, and the timing.

Brayden Williams is daring the world to catch up

When asked how he views himself among the sprinting elite, Brayden Williams didn’t flinch. With unshakable confidence, he replied, “Nah, I know my mindset. I know I’m the fastest man in the world, especially in high school. So, it is what it is. So, I’m just happy to be, like I said, the fastest man in both events that I run.” Now then, that is quite a bold statement coming from a teenager.

But confidence like that doesn’t sprout from nowhere. Williams has been backing it up with blazing times and jaw-dropping performances. While that 6.62 in the 60m turned heads, it’s his jaw-dropping 9.82 (albeit wind-assisted) in the 100 meters at a regional championship meet that has truly shaken the sprinting world to its core. Williams recently clocked a jaw-dropping 6.62 in the 60m, a time most seniors in college would kill for.

But barely days later, the teenager was back at it in the 100m, this time leaving scorched earth behind him in Texas. The performance didn’t just win him a race; it made him the fastest high school sprinter in history under all conditions. Which brings us to the real question. How fast can Brayden Williams actually get? That 6.62 wasn’t just a flash. It’s part of a trend.

His recent 9.82 might not be record-legal due to the wind, but it still put the world on notice. When adjusted for legal wind, he’d still be among the fastest ever. And that’s just the beginning. Is this the rise of a new sprinting titan? If his current arc holds, we may be looking at a teenager poised to disrupt the adult-dominated sprinting world. Noah Lyles might want to keep an eye on the rearview mirror. Brayden Williams is coming, and he’s closing fast.