Brandon Hicklin’s phone rang early on the morning of May 3, a call that would change the course of his career. “My agent called me Friday morning and said, You’re going to Grand Slam,” Hicklin recalled with a hint of surprise. “I’m like, ‘Alright, cool.’” What seemed like an ordinary conversation soon turned into an extraordinary opportunity. Just days before the high-stakes Grand Slam Track Meet in Miami, the American sprinter found himself stepping into Fred Kerley’s shoes. Following Kerley’s abrupt withdrawal due to an arrest, Hicklin emerged as one of the most prominent figures in the track world.
With Kerley out, Hicklin’s role as a late replacement left fans and analysts buzzing. It wasn’t just the timing that made the switch remarkable; it was the enormity of the moment. Only two days before the event, Kerley had been at the center of controversy, arrested for a second time this year. The announcement that he would not compete sent shockwaves through the track and field world. Facing the daunting task of stepping into a spotlight that had been prepared for a star.
Brandon Hicklin reveals thoughts on the last-minute call to replace Fred Kerley and how it flipped his mindset heading into Miami. “It was a wonderful experience by far, probably the most fun I’ve had in years,” he said, reflecting on the whirlwind weekend. “And you know, transitioning from jumps to sprints is a challenging switch. But now that I’m actually sprinting, it’s actually pretty much fun.”
While the pressure of stepping in for a major headliner could have rattled some, Hicklin embraced it as fuel. Brandon Hicklin, who once made his name in the long jump, has found joy in the challenge of adjusting to the technical demands of elite sprinting, even though the transition hasn’t been easy. It wasn’t just about fun. It was about adapting.
“It’s like sometimes when I, you know, try to put back a jumping, running style to a sprint running style,” Hicklin explained. “So now I’m trying to find that common balance where I’m being explosive in the front and projecting this way. So at the end of the day, it’s fun.” His mission has become to strike a balance between raw power and precise technique.
With Kerley’s sudden exit clouded by controversy and legal proceedings, Hicklin’s calm, technical focus brought a fresh energy to the event. His transition highlights just how versatile and mentally agile athletes must be when called up without warning. As for race day itself, Hicklin boiled his mindset down to one simple objective.
“This one, I had one motive to catch lanes three and four. If I can catch that lane… okay, I made that stack up as quickly as possible. Now I have to maintain and hold it, and I felt like that’s what I did today. But I can always get better later.” It wasn’t about replacing Kerley’s legacy; it was about chasing his lane, literally. Even while acknowledging areas for growth, Hicklin stepped onto the track with purpose and clarity.
Brandon Hicklin steps in as Fred Kerley’s season spirals
Years ago, fans recognized Brandon Hicklin not for sprinting but for soaring through the air as one of the best long jumpers in the nation. Competing for North Carolina A&T, Hicklin wrapped up a standout season with a personal-best leap of 26 feet, 10 inches at the Aggie Classic, catapulting him to the No. 1 spot in the country that weekend.
That jump, over a foot farther than his previous best, marked a defining moment in his collegiate career, elevating him from 16th in the national rankings to the very top. Previously, his mark of 25 feet, 11½ inches, had earned him fourth place at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. Fast forward to 2025, and Hicklin’s name is once again making headlines, but this time in the sprints and under very different circumstances.
Organizers abruptly removed Olympic champion Fred Kerley from the Grand Slam Track Miami lineup after his second arrest this year and tapped Brandon Hicklin as a last-minute replacement. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office arrested and booked Kerley on one count of battery after an altercation at the event hotel.
His attorney pushed back on the charges, stating, “These allegations lack merit, and the witnesses lack credibility. My client was attacked unprovoked, and in the scuffle, someone else was unintentionally harmed… We anticipate that Fred’s charges will be dismissed.” While fans were left processing Kerley’s chaotic season marked by legal trouble, brief flashes of redemption.
Brandon Hicklin quietly stepped into the spotlight. As Kerley’s 2025 campaign teeters between crisis and potential comeback, Hicklin’s unexpected rise brings a unique energy to the track. One of resilience and opportunity seized. With a background rooted in long jump excellence and a present shaped by unexpected sprints, Hicklin’s journey is a reminder that, in track and field, momentum can shift in an instant.
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