Mims grew up in Frisco, Texas and attended Lone Star High School.[1] He was named the District 5-5A-I Offensive MVP in his junior season after posting 1,158 yards and 14 touchdowns.[2] As a senior Mims set a national record with 2,629 receiving yards on 117 receptions with 32 touchdown catches and was named Mr. Texas Football and first team USA Today High School All-American.[3][4][5] Mims finished his high school career with a state record 5,485 receiving yards.[6][7] Mims initially committed to play college football for the Stanford Cardinal over offers from Notre Dame and TCU, but later decommitted during his senior year in favor of attending Oklahoma.[8][9]
College career
Mims joined the Oklahoma Sooners in January 2020 as an early enrollee.[10] In his first game at Oklahoma, Mims caught 3 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown against Missouri State and scored 2 more touchdowns the following week in a loss to Kansas State.[11][12][13][14] Mims finished his freshman season with team highs of 37 receptions, 610 receiving yards and 9 touchdown receptions, which was also a school freshman record, and was named second team All-Big 12 and an FWAA Freshman All-American.[15] As a sophomore, he led the Sooners with 705 receiving yards on 32 catches with 5 touchdowns.[16] As a junior in 2022 Mims topped his squad with 54 receptions for 1,083 yards (ranking sixth in the country with 20.1 yards per catch average) and six scores in 13 games.[17] Mims also returned kicks (3–70–23.3) and punts (33–391–11.8) during his college career, receiving 2022 honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference honors for his punt return efforts. Mims declared for the 2023 NFL draft following the 2022 season.[18]
In Week 2 against Washington, Mims had two receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown in the 35–33 loss. [22] In Week 3, Mims returned a kickoff for a touchdown, although the Dolphins still won 70–20.[23] In Week 10, Mims returned two punts that led to touchdowns, along with a 31-yard kick return, in a 24–22 win over the Buffalo Bills, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[24] In Week 16, Mims fumbled while returning a kickoff, which lead to a recovery and subsequent touchdown by safety Cody Davis to increase the Patriots' lead to 23–7. The Broncos would eventually lose the game 23–26 despite nearly mounting a fourth quarter comeback, effectively ending the Broncos playoff aspirations for the season as their record fell to 7–8. After the game, Mims took responsibility for the loss, stating: "That’s a 14-point swing. It cost us at the end. I got to be better, I know that. At the end of the day, I mean things happen, but I just know I got to be better."[25] He appeared in 16 games and started seven as a rookie. He finished with 22 receptions for 377 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown, as well as a kick return touchdown.[26] As a returner, he was named to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, the 2023 All-Pro Team, and the 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team.[27][28][29]
During the 2024 season, Mims began taking snaps at running back.[30] On December 2, 2024 in a Week 13 Monday Night Football matchup against the Cleveland Browns, Mims caught a 93-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Bo Nix from the Broncos' own end zone.[31][32] During Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts, Mims had 97 punt return yards, which included a 61-yard return in the fourth quarter that set up a Nate Adkins touchdown reception to give the Broncos the lead, which they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Upon defeating the Colts the Broncos moved to 9–5, securing their first winning season since 2016 and increasing their chances of making the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50 to 91%.[33] Mims was subsequently named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his critical return plays.[34] On offense, Mims finished the season with 39 catches for 503 yards and six receiving touchdowns along with 13 rushes for 42 yards. On special teams, he made 7 kick returns for 194 yards and 26 punt returns for 408 yards, leading the league with 15.7 yards per punt return.[35][36] He was named First-team All-Pro as a punt returner, and awarded his second Pro Bowl as a return specialist.[37]
