Rushing Yards Single Season Leaders and Records

An asterisk (*) after a player's name indicates bowl stats are included.
Read more about our data coverage.

Leaders

  • Since 1956
Leaders Table
Rk Player Yds Year School
1Barry Sanders26281988Oklahoma State
2Melvin Gordon*25872014Wisconsin
3Kevin Smith*25672007UCF
4Marcus Allen*24271981USC
5Rashaad Penny*22482017San Diego State
6Derrick Henry*22192015Alabama
7Jonathan Taylor*21942018Wisconsin
8Troy Davis21851996Iowa State
9Andre Williams*21772013Boston College
10LaDainian Tomlinson21582000TCU
11Tony Dorsett*21501976Pitt
12Mike Rozier21481983Nebraska
13Donnel Pumphrey*21332016San Diego State
14Matt Forte21272007Tulane
15Ricky Williams21241998Texas
16Bryce Love*21182017Stanford
17Ron Dayne*21091996Wisconsin
18Chuba Hubbard*20942019Oklahoma State
19Larry Johnson*20872002Penn State
20Donald Brown*20832008Connecticut
21Lorenzo White*20661985Michigan State
22Damien Anderson*20632000Northwestern
23Rashaan Salaam20551994Colorado
24Charles White*20501979USC
25Tevin Coleman20362014Indiana
26Ron Dayne20341999Wisconsin
27D'Onta Foreman20282016Texas
28Christian McCaffrey*20192015Stanford
29J.J. Arrington*20182004California
30Malcolm Perry*20172019Navy
31Ray Rice*20122007Rutgers
32Troy Davis20101995Iowa State
33J.K. Dobbins*20032019Ohio State
Jonathan Taylor*20032019Wisconsin
35Byron Hanspard20001996Texas Tech
36Darren Sproles*19862003Kansas State
37Jonathan Taylor*19772017Wisconsin
38LeShon Johnson19761993Northern Illinois
39LaDainian Tomlinson*19741999TCU
40DeAngelo Williams*19642005Memphis
41Ricky Bell*19571975USC
42Leonard Fournette*19532015LSU
43DeAngelo Williams*19482004Memphis
44Ka'Deem Carey*19292012Arizona
45Garrett Wolfe*19282006Northern Illinois
46Eddie George*19271995Ohio State
47Adrian Peterson*19252004Oklahoma
48Montee Ball*19232011Wisconsin
49Jordan Lynch*19202013Northern Illinois
50Devin Singletary*19182017Florida Atlantic
51Michael Turner19152002Northern Illinois
52Darrell Henderson*19092018Memphis
53Wasean Tait19051995Toledo
54Jerome Harrison19002005Washington State
55Ricky Williams18931997Texas
56Herschel Walker18911981Georgia
57Brian Pruitt18901994Central Michigan
58Ka'Deem Carey*18852013Arizona
59Quentin Griffin*18842002Oklahoma
60Stefphon Jefferson*18832012Nevada
61Ed Marinaro18811971Cornell
62O.J. Simpson*18801968USC
63Ezekiel Elliott*18782014Ohio State
64Ahman Green18771997Nebraska
Ernest Anderson18771982Oklahoma State
66Toby Gerhart*18712009Stanford
67Bishop Sankey*18702013Washington
68Donnel Pumphrey*18672014San Diego State
69Paul Palmer18661986Temple
70Don McCauley*18631970North Carolina
71Brian Hill*18602016Wyoming
72Charles White*18591978USC
73Shonn Greene*18502008Iowa
74Lew Nichols*18482021Central Michigan
75George Jones18421995San Diego State
76Chris Brown*18412002Colorado
77Royce Freeman*18362015Oregon
78Cedric Benson*18342004Texas
79Montee Ball*18302012Wisconsin
Darren McFadden*18302007Arkansas
81Jay Ajayi*18232014Boise State
82Ezekiel Elliott*18212015Ohio State
83Tre Mason*18162013Auburn
84Jordan Lynch*18152012Northern Illinois
85Ryan Mathews*18082009Fresno State
86LaMichael James*18052011Oregon
Vaughn Dunbar*18051991Indiana
88Jamario Thomas*18012004North Texas
89Jaret Patterson*17992019Buffalo
Dion Lewis*17992009Pitt
91Thomas Jones17981999Virginia
92Ray Rice*17942006Rutgers
93Le'Veon Bell*17932012Michigan State
Anthony Thompson17931989Indiana
95Craig Heyward*17911987Pitt
96Obie Graves17891978Cal State Fullerton
97Travis Prentice17871998Miami (OH)
98Bo Jackson17861985Auburn
99Darnell Autry*17851995Northwestern
100George Rogers17811980South Carolina