Rushing Yards Year-by-Year 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
Year Player Yds School
2024Ashton Jeanty2497Boise State
2023Ollie Gordon*1732Oklahoma State
2022Brad Roberts*1728Air Force
2021Lew Nichols*1848Central Michigan
2020Breece Hall*1572Iowa State
2019Chuba Hubbard*2094Oklahoma State
2018Jonathan Taylor*2194Wisconsin
2017Rashaad Penny*2248San Diego State
2016Donnel Pumphrey*2133San Diego State
2015Derrick Henry*2219Alabama
2014Melvin Gordon*2587Wisconsin
2013Andre Williams*2177Boston College
2012Ka'Deem Carey*1929Arizona
2011Montee Ball*1923Wisconsin
2010LaMichael James*1731Oregon
2009Toby Gerhart*1871Stanford
2008Donald Brown*2083Connecticut
2007Kevin Smith*2567Central Florida
2006Garrett Wolfe*1928Northern Illinois
2005DeAngelo Williams*1964Memphis
2004J.J. Arrington*2018California
2003Darren Sproles*1986Kansas State
2002Larry Johnson*2087Penn State
2001Chance Kretschmer1732Nevada
2000LaDainian Tomlinson2158TCU
1999LaDainian Tomlinson1850TCU
1998Ricky Williams2124Texas
1997Ricky Williams1893Texas
1996Troy Davis2185Iowa State
1995Troy Davis2010Iowa State
1994Rashaan Salaam2055Colorado
1993LeShon Johnson1976Northern Illinois
1992Marshall Faulk1630San Diego State
1991Vaughn Dunbar1699Indiana
1990Darren Lewis1691Texas A&M
1989Anthony Thompson1793Indiana
1988Barry Sanders2628Oklahoma State
1987Ickey Woods1658Nevada-Las Vegas
1986Paul Palmer1866Temple
1985Lorenzo White1908Michigan State
1984Keith Byars1655Ohio State
1983Mike Rozier2148Nebraska
1982Ernest Anderson1877Oklahoma State
1981Marcus Allen2342Southern California
1980George Rogers1781South Carolina
1979Charles White1803Southern California
1978Obie Graves1789Cal State Fullerton
1977Earl Campbell1744Texas
1976Tony Dorsett1948Pittsburgh
1975Ricky Bell1875Southern California
1974Archie Griffin1620Ohio State
1973Mark Kellar1719Northern Illinois
1972Pete Van Valkenburg1386Brigham Young
1971Ed Marinaro1881Cornell
1970Don McCauley1720North Carolina
1969Leon Burns1659Long Beach State
1968O.J. Simpson1709Southern California
1967O.J. Simpson1415Southern California
1966Ray McDonald1329Idaho
1965Mike Garrett1440Southern California
1964Brian Piccolo1044Wake Forest
1963Dave Casinelli1016Memphis
1962Preacher Pilot1247New Mexico State
1961Preacher Pilot1278New Mexico State
1960Bob Gaiters1338New Mexico State
1959Pervis Atkins971New Mexico State
1958Dick Bass1361Pacific
1957Leon Burton1126Arizona State
1956Jim Crawford1104Wyoming