Doug Haller

azcentral sports

If there’s one thing you need to know about John Humphrey – the Oklahoma receiver who recently announced his intention to transfer to Arizona State -- it’s this:

He’s fast.

The 5-11, 169-pound receiver last season red-shirted at Oklahoma, and during his time there, Humphrey says he ran what he heard was the fastest 40 time in program history.

“I think Adrian Peterson had a 4.37,’’ Humphrey said Tuesday. “I ran a 4.26 -- three times.”

According to an Oklahoma football spokesman, the Sooners' conditioning staff timed Humphrey at 4.34, not a program record, but still blazing fast. According to The Houston Chronicle, Humphrey as a high school sophomore ran a 4.25 40 at a Texas Tech satellite camp. His Clear Falls High School coaches in Texas later clocked him at 4.27.

To put that in perspective, former Georgia running back Keith Marshall posted the fastest 40 time at February's NFL Combine. He ran a 4.31.

“If I get someone timed at 4.2 something, I don’t tell them because it’s hard to believe,” former Clear Falls coach Mike Zierlein told The Chronicle in 2014. “With things like that you’re always skeptical, but he’s definitely the fastest kid I’ve ever coached.”

It’s this type of speed Humphrey wants to showcase at ASU, both on the football field and as a sprinter in the track program. Humphrey has not yet signed with the Sun Devils, but he expects to do so soon. Once he arrives, he’ll have to sit out this season because of NCAA transfer rules.

“I like the offense Arizona State has, I think it fits me perfect,’’ Humphrey said. “I see I can do similar things that (senior receiver) Tim White does, plays offense and defense. He’s a key player on their team and I can see myself taking on that role (both as a receiver and returner) after he leaves.”

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ASU should have a good grasp of Humphrey’s skills. Receivers coach Jay Norvell recruited Humphrey during his final season at Oklahoma. Norvell left for Texas the year Humphrey arrived and joined coach Todd Graham’s staff this spring.

As a true freshman last year, Humphrey ran the opposition’s plays each week for the Oklahoma scout team. At year’s end, he was named the program's Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year. Humphrey said he stood out because of his approach.

“Me personally, when I got red-shirted, I didn’t get mad or anything,’’ he said. “I just looked at it as, that’s nothing against me, just get ready. I was going against the first-team defense each and every day, so I tried to work on my craft against some of the best players in the country. We went to the Final Four last year, and if I’m doing pretty well against the DBs we have here …. That really played a part into my whole redshirt year.”

Humphrey – who said he worked as a first-team punt returner in spring practice -- did not go into detail about his reasons for leaving the Sooners. He just said he thought he could utilize his talents -- especially his speed -- better elsewhere.

“My father also ran track in high school and college,’’ Humphrey said. “Pretty much my whole family was involved in track and football and I guess that was just passed on to me and my brothers. It’s in my blood.”

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