What Ted Hurst Does for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ted Hurst Career Stats

An attendee of Sol C. Johnson High School in Savannah, Ga., Hurst stood out in multiple sports, including football, basketball, and track & field. However, he slipped through the cracks as a zero-star recruit and received mostly D-II and D-III offers. He committed to local D-II Valdosta State because of his brother spending time in the program. He flashed for the Blazers, totaling 60 receptions for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 total games over 2 seasons. His production and measurables drew some more eyes onto him, which got one FBS offer in the transfer portal from Georgia State. He continued to ascend and dominated inferior competition week in and week out. In 2024, he immediately led the team in receiving with 56 catches for 961 yards and 9 touchdowns, and 2025 saw even bigger numbers with 71 receptions for 1,004 yards and 6 TDs. His efforts earned him first-team All-Sun Belt. He accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl and showed out in practices, proving in a limited sample that he could hang with more serious competition.

A lot of people are going to learn about Georgia St. WR Ted Hurst this week

– 6032, 207, 33 1/4" arms, 10" hands – Glides to top speed and creates catching windows – Really productive for a team that went 1-11 in 2025 – 34 catches of 20+ yards over the last 2 yrs (No. 1 in FBS) pic.twitter.com/QdsBzlYZuR

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 28, 2026

Athletic Testing

Hey, a prospect we can actually talk about in this section! But yeah, Hurst is one of the best athletes in the entire draft. A rare small-school entry in the “Freaks List” from esteemed journalist Bruce Feldman, Hurst posted an elite 9.90 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which ranks top 50 for receivers all-time since 1987. Measuring well over 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with 32 3/8” arms and 9 1/2” hands, Hurst recorded some huge numbers for his size like a 4.42 40-yard dash (80th percentile) and a mind-boggling 11-foot-3 broad jump (97th percentile). There is no doubting that he is an NFL-caliber athlete.

Ted Hurst was drafted in round 3 with pick 84 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.90 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 41 out of 4196 WR from 1987 to 2026.pic.twitter.com/gMwOfYHN9j

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 25, 2026

What Kind of Player Is Ted Hurst?

Hurst, who’s only 21, offers a dimension that the Bucs did not roster in any meaningful way after Mike Evans’s departure. He’s a huge vertical threat with long strides and prompt acceleration, which will immediately stress defenses downfield. After quickly eating up cushions, corners need to be ready to turn and burn because Hurst has access to another gear both in phase and with the ball in his hands.

Georgia State WR Ted Hurst is my #1 offensive prospect from the G5.

– 6’3/195 – goal line fade machine – crisp route runner with sudden deceleration – elusive after the catch (17 mtkl forced this year) – burst to stack press-man – good not great top gear – cuts routes off vs.… pic.twitter.com/LvUgymsCJO

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) November 15, 2025 He’s a keen-eyed ball tracker and knows how to extend and finish catches above the rim. He’s not just a straight-line athlete either, as he’s consistently shown quick feet, smooth hips, and focused body control. That’s not all, as some of his most productive plays in college came on short catches that turned into huge YAC opportunities thanks to his elusiveness and speed. Now here’s the “but.” All of this came against very poor competition, and Georgia State’s coaching staff did little to hone him on the finer points of the position. They simply saw a dominant athlete and made it as simple as “get the ball in Hurst’s hands.” Nearly 14% of Hurst’s routes were slants, an FBS-high. Everything else was basically go and post routes. He’s capable of more, and it will take time to guide him into making crisper breaks and diversifying his release package to beat professional press. He also needs to clean up his drop rate (over 10%). Ted Hurst hip-sink/deceleration at 6032 pic.twitter.com/RBunwcY6qv

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 3, 2026

Conclusion

The Bucs made a long-term play with very high upside if it pays off, which is fine when we’re talking about picks outside of the top 75. Hurst is a rare athlete with the inklings of a real three-level pass-catching threat, and he’ll receive the gift of patience in a room stuffed full of other talented options. He’ll slot in as receiver No. 4 behind Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson will still have a role as well.

Ted Hurst is a developmental WR with upside to eventually be a starter at X receiver for a team that needs one, but he flashes the ability to be a slasher WR as he ramps up. pic.twitter.com/zcA48KpZ3o

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon\_BYB) April 25, 2026 Hurst will get specific plays installed for him that take advantage of his unique profile, but you likely won’t see significant snaps until 2027 at the earliest while he learns more about how to play the position like a real pro. How do you feel about this pick, Bucs Nation? Discuss below!