Freshman rushing season yards leaders

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin 2017 ‡1,977

Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma 2004 1,925

Ron Dayne, Wisconsin 1996 1,863

Jamario Thomas, North Texas 2004 1,801

Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh 2009 1,799

Chance Kretschmer, Nevada 2001 1,732

Samaje Perine, Oklahoma 2014 1,713

Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech 2009 1,655

Herschel Walker, Georgia 1980 1,616

AJ Dillon, Boston College 2017 1,589

Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss 2022 1,587

Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh 1973 1,586

P.J. Hill, Wisconsin 2006 1,569

Jarvion Franklin, Western Mich. 2014 1,551

Nick Chubb, Georgia 2014 1,547

LaMichael James, Oregon 2009 1,546

Ronnie Hillman, San Diego St. 2010 1,532

Alex Smith, Indiana 1994 1,475

Anthony Davis, Wisconsin 2001 1,466

Kenny Gainwell, Memphis 2019 1,459

Michael Hart, Michigan 2004 1,455

Marshall Faulk, San Diego St. 1991 1,429

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (QB) 2012 1,410

J.K. Dobbins, Ohio St. 2017 1,403

Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss. 2006 1,388

Todd Gurley, Georgia 2012 1,385

Jermar Jefferson, Oregon St. 2018 1,380

Makhi Hughes, Tulane 2023 1,378

Nick Wilson, Arizona 2014 1,375

Royce Freeman, Oregon 2014 1,365

Jamal Lewis, Tennessee 1997 1,364

Bernard Pierce, Temple 2009 1,361

Ahmad Hardy, ULM 2024 1,351

Emmitt Smith, Florida 1987 1,341

Mike Warren, Iowa St. 2015 1,339

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia 2007 1,334

Spencer Brown, UAB 2017 1,329

LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh 2007 1,328

Myles Gaskin, Washington 2015 1,302

Ron “Po” James, New Mexico St. 1968 1,291

Braelon Allen, Wisconsin 2021 1,268

Darren Evans, Virginia Tech 2008 1,265

Terrell Willis, Rutgers 1993 1,261

Giovani Bernard, North Carolina 2011 1,253

Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon St. 2008 1,253

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio St. 2021 1,248

Bryce Beall, Houston 2008 1,247

Terry Caulley, UConn 2002 1,247

Darrell Thompson, Minnesota 1986 1,240

Allen Harvin, Cincinnati 1978 1,238

Maurice Clarett, Ohio St. 2002 1,237

Chuck Webb, Tennessee 1989 1,236

Curvin Richards, Pittsburgh 1988 1,228

Harvey Unga, BYU 2007 1,227

Greg Hill, Texas A&M 1991 1,216

Amos Lawrence, North Carolina 1977 1,211

Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina 2010 1,197

Reggie Cobb, Tennessee 1987 1,197

Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech 2012 1,194

Joe McIntosh, NC State 1981 1,190

Justin Jackson, Northwestern 2014 1,187

Jevyon Ducker, NIU 2021 1,184

Demond Parker, Oklahoma 1996 1,184

Derrick Nix, Southern Miss. 1998 1,180

Kevin Smith, UCF 2005 1,178

Deonte Jackson, Idaho 2007 1,175

Isaac Brown, Louisville 2024 1,173

Ron Lear, Marshall 1979 1,162

Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota 2018 1,160

Lyle McCombs, UConn 2011 1,151

Justice Hill, Oklahoma St. 2016 1,142

Avon Cobourne, West Virginia 1999 1,139

Stevie Scott, Indiana 2018 1,137

DonTrell Moore, New Mexico 2002 1,134

Steve Slaton, West Virginia 2005 1,128

June Henley, Kansas 1993 1,127

Qadree Ollison, Pittsburgh 2015 1,121

Laurence Maroney, Minnesota 2003 1,121

Ray Rice, Rutgers 2005 1,120

Denvis Manns, New Mexico St. 1995 1,120

Jerry Seymour, Central Mich. 2003 1,117

Kerwin Bell, Kansas 1980 1,114

Chris Polk, Washington 2009 1,113

Darren McFadden, Arkansas 2005 1,113

Steve Bartalo, Colorado St. 1983 1,113

T.J. Yeldon, Alabama 2012 1,108

Matt Milton, Nevada 2002 1,108

Robert Merrill, TCU 2003 1,107

Larry Rose, New Mexico St. 2014 1,102

T.A. McLendon, NC State 2002 1,101

Tyrone Owens, New Mexico 2016 1,097

Mike Weber, Ohio St. 2016 1,096

Michael Dyer, Auburn 2010 1,093

Benny Snell, Kentucky 2016 1,091

Silas Massey, Central Mich. 1995 1,089

Lynell Hamilton, San Diego St. 2003 1,087

Ahman Green, Nebraska 1995 1,086

Sieh Bangura, Ohio 2022 1,078

Saquon Barkley, Penn St. 2015 1,076

Reggie Arnold, Arkansas St. 2006 1,076

Darrin Nelson, Stanford 1977 1,069

Ontario Sneed, Central Mich. 2005 1,065

Robert Smith, Ohio St. 1990 1,064

Bernie Parmalee, Ball St. 1987 1,064

Winslow Oliver, New Mexico 1992 1,063

Damarea Crockett, Missouri 2016 1,062

Mike Smith, Chattanooga 1977 1,062

Nicholas Singleton, Penn St. 2022 1,061

Marquis Williams, Arkansas St. 1993 1,060

Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M 2016 1,057

Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma 2018 1,056

Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana 2005 1,053

Cedric Benson, Texas 2001 1,053

James White, Wisconsin 2010 1,052

Gwain Durden, Chattanooga 1977 1,049

Vic Anderson, Louisville 2008 1,047

Spencer Tillman, Oklahoma 1983 1,047

Allen Ross, NIU 1977 1,043

Travon McMillian, Virginia Tech 2015 1,042

Marlon Mack, South Fla. 2014 1,041

Sedrick Irvin, Michigan St. 1996 1,036

Anthony McFarland, Maryland 2018 1,034

Leonard Fournette, LSU 2014 1,034

Robert Sanford, Western Mich. 1997 1,033

Lonta Hobbs, TCU 2002 1,029

Brad Smith, Missouri (QB) 2002 1,029

Bryson Washington, Baylor 2024 1,028 ‡Record for freshman. Annual Rushing Champions

Ken Simonton, Oregon St. 1998 1,028

Alex Collins, Arkansas 2013 1,026

Deland McCullough, Miami (OH) 1992 1,026

Cam Akers, Florida St. 2017 1,024

Courtney Lewis, Texas A&M 2003 1,024

John Rhys Plumlee, Ole Miss (QB) 2019 1,023

Devin Singletary, Fla. Atlantic 2016 1,021

Eddie Johnson, Utah 1984 1,021

Joshua Cribbs, Kent St. (QB) 2001 1,019

CJ Verdell, Oregon 2018 1,018

James McDougald, Wake Forest 1976 1,018

George Holani, Boise St. 2019 1,014

Jaret Patterson, Buffalo 2018 1,013

Leon Johnson, North Carolina 1993 1,012

Morgan Williams, Toledo 2008 1,010

Dalvin Cook, Florida St. 2014 1,008

David Small, Cincinnati 1991 1,004

Jalen Buckley, Western Mich. 2023 1,003

Caleb Huntley, Ball St. 2017 1,003

Astron Whatley, Kent St. 1994 1,003

Mike Harkrader, Indiana 1976 1,003

D.J. Dozier, Penn St. 1983 1,002

Justin Vincent, LSU 2003 1,001

Joe Morris, Syracuse 1978 1,001