Since the dawn of time, college football has been a land of premier running backs. In fact, a running back has won the sought-after Heisman Trophy 45 times – in 45 individual seasons – since the award was first introduced in 1935.
Just last year, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards — the second-most for a player in the history of the sport — and 29 touchdowns, helping him become the runner-up for the 2024 Heisman Trophy Award and get selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There are countless great backs in that history, but sometimes they only start for one or two years given the depth of a powerhouse program and/or players redshirting. On that note, however, which players have the most rushing yards in the history of college football?
The Top 10 Rushing Leaders in FBS History
10. Texas RB Cedrick Benson – 5,540 yards
Cedric Benson led the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Across Benson’s four seasons in Austin (2001-04), he was one of the best running backs in the sport in every season. Benson averaged 1,385 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns per season, while leading the Big 12 in rushing scores in both his junior and senior seasons. The consistent force that was Benson was later selected by the Chicago Bears with the No. 4 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
ADVERTISEMENT
9. Miami (OH) RB Travis Prentice – 5,596 yards
Travis Prentice was the 1998 MAC Player of the Year. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images)
Prentice has an argument for being the best player in MAC football history. Across his three seasons at Miami (OH), Prentice dazzled, leading the conference in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in each of his last three seasons with the program (1997-99), averaging a whopping 20.3 rushing touchdowns per season over that span. Prentice went on to be selected in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
8. USC RB Charles White – 5,598 yards
Charles White won the 1979 Heisman Trophy. (Photo by Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
White did it all at USC. He won multiple accolades, was one of the best backs in the nation and won a national championship. A two-time All-American and two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year, White led the Pac-10 in rushing yards in each of his final three seasons with the Trojans (1977-79), rushing touchdowns in each of his last two seasons and won the 1979 Heisman Trophy Award. Of course, he also won the National Championship with the Trojans in the 1978 season.
Royce Freeman led the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns in his freshman and sophomore seasons. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Freeman came to Oregon and breathed fire from the jump. Across his first two seasons with the Ducks (2014-15), Freeman rushed for 1,600.5 yards and 17.5 touchdowns per season, while leading the Pac-12 in rushing scores in both years on an Oregon team that reached the 2015 National Championship Game. In all, Freeman rushed for 5,621 yards and 60 touchdowns over his four-year collegiate career spent entirely in Eugene.
6. Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams – 6,026 yards
DeAngelo Williams led the nation in rushing yards in 2005. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Across his four seasons at Memphis from 2002 through 2005, Williams was the best playmaker in Conference USA and pound-for-pound as good as any back in college football. In each of his last three seasons, Williams led the conference in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns in each of his last two seasons and yards per carry in each of his first two seasons. Furthermore, he led the entire sport with 1,964 rushing yards in 2005 and was second with 1,948 rushing yards in 2004. A three-time Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, Williams was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 27 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
5. Pittsburgh RB Tony Dorsett – 6,082 yards
Tony Dorsett won the 1976 Heisman Trophy. (Photo by Rich Clarkson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Dorsett was a force to be reckoned with, rushing for 1,000-plus yards and double-double touchdowns in each of his four seasons at Pittsburgh (1973-76). In 1976, Dorsett rushed for a nation-high with both 1,948 yards and 21 touchdowns, helping him win the Heisman Trophy and leading Pittsburgh to a National Championship. Dorsett was also a finalist for the 1975 Heisman Trophy and went on to be selected with the No. 2 pick in the 1977 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won a Super Bowl in his rookie season and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Jonathan Taylor led the Big Ten in rushing yards in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Jonathan Taylor had a lot of plays called for him at Wisconsin — like, a lot. In each of his three seasons playing for the Badgers (2017-19), Taylor led the Big Ten in both rushing yards and carries and led the conference in rushing touchdowns in each of his last two seasons. Furthermore, Taylor led the nation with 2,194 rushing yards in 2018. Over his three-year collegiate career, Taylor, a two-time All-American, rushed for 2,058 yards and 16.7 touchdowns per season, finishing in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy voting in all three seasons. He was the driving force of Wisconsin’s offense, and for a team that went 13-1 in his 2017 freshman season.
3. Texas RB Ricky Williams – 6,279 yards
Ricky Williams was a two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. (Photo by Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Williams was an overwhelming force in the Longhorns’ backfield. Already a potent back in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Williams led the nation in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in both 1997 and 1998. In ’98, Williams rushed for 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns on a Big 12-high 5.9 yards per carry en route to winning the Heisman Trophy Award. A two-time All-American and two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Williams was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 5 pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.
2. Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne – 6,397 yards
Ron Dayne was the 1999 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. (Photo by Richard Mackson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Good luck trying to bring down the 245-pound Dayne. A rumbling force in the backfield, Dayne led the Big Ten in rushing yards in his freshman, junior and senior seasons and rushing touchdowns in his freshman and senior seasons. Across his four years at Madison from 1996 through 1999, Dayne rushed for 1,599.3 yards and 15.8 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry per season. In 1999, Dayne rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns — which was tied for first in the nation — helping him win the Heisman Trophy and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors. Dayne was then selected by the New York Giants with the No. 11 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
1. San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey – 6,405 yards
Donnel Pumphrey was a two-time Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Across his four seasons at San Diego State, Pumphrey just kept running. After an efficient 2013 freshman campaign, Pumphrey proceeded to lead the Mountain West in rushing yards in three consecutive seasons, rushing for 1,884.3 yards and 18 touchdowns per year from 2014-16. In 2016, Pumphrey, who was the 2015 and 2016 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, led the nation with 2,133 rushing yards and finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting. Pumphrey, whose 6,405 career rushing yards are first in FBS history, was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Check out all of our Daily Rankers.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Sponsored Content
Juega en grande con cryptomonedas
