SuperWest NCAA Football Annual Yardage Leaders

National leaders in rushing, passing, receiving, and total yards over the last 65 years.

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Posted on August 18, 2022


  By SuperWest Sports Staff

Several SuperWest players have won individual NCAA yards championships and we’ve compiled lists of them over the last 65 years in four categories: Rushing, Passing, Receiving, and Total Yards.

Some highlights:

• The last rushing leader was San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny with 2,248 yards in 2017.

• Washington State’s Ryan Leaf was the most recent passing leader with 3,968 yards in 1997.

• The most recent receiving leader was Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks with 1,730 yards in 2013.

• Oregon’s Marcus Mariota was the last total yardage leader with 5,224 yards in 2014.

Tables with annual winners in all four lists appear below.

NCAA Rushing Yards Leaders by Year

Former San Diego State RB Rashaad Penny | SDSU Athletics

Year	Player	Yards	Program
2017	Rashaad Penny	2248	SDSU
2016	Donnel Pumphrey	2133	SDSU
2012	Ka'Deem Carey	1929	Arizona
2010	LaMichael James	1731	Oregon
2009	Toby Gerhart	1871	Stanford
2004	J.J. Arrington	2018	Cal
1994	Rashaan Salaam	2055	Colorado
1992	Marshall Faulk	1630	SDSU
1981	Marcus Allen	2427	USC
1979	Charles White	2050	USC
1978	Charles White	1859	USC
1975	Ricky Bell	1957	USC
1972	Pete Van Valkenburg	1386	BYU
1968	O.J. Simpson	1880	USC
1967	O.J. Simpson	1543	USC
1965	Mike Garrett	1440	USC
1957	Leon Burton	1126	ASU

NCAA Passing Yards Leaders by Year

Former Washington State QB Ryan Leaf | Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Year	Player	Yards	Program
1997	Ryan Leaf	3968	WSU
1994	John Walsh	3712	BYU
1991	Ty Detmer	4031	BYU
1990	Ty Detmer	5188	BYU
1988	Scott Mitchell	4322	Utah
1987	Todd Santos	3932	SDSU
1985	Robbie Bosco	4273	BYU
1984	Robbie Bosco	3875	BYU
1983	Steve Young	3902	BYU
1980	Jim McMahon	4571	BYU
1979	Marc Wilson	3720	BYU
1976	Gifford Nielsen	3401	BYU
1975	Craig Penrose	2660	SDSU
1974	Steve Bartkowski	2580	Cal
1973	Jesse Freitas	2993	SDSU
1970	Jim Plunkett	2980	Stanford
1969	Dennis Shaw	3185	SDSU
1966	Mark Reed	2368	Arizona
1959	Dick Norman	1963	Stanford
1957	Lee Grosscup	1398	Utah

NCAA Receiving Yards Leaders by Year

Oregon Stat’s Brandin Cooks | Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Year	Player	Yards	School
2013	Brandin Cooks	1730	OSU
2008	Austin Collie	1538	BYU
2005	Mike Hass	1532	OSU
2002	J.R. Tolver	1785	SDSU
1990	Patrick Rowe	1392	SDSU
1983	Jim Sandusky	1171	SDSU
1973	Jay Miller	1181	BYU
1962	Vern Burke	1007	OSU
1960	Hugh Campbell	881	WSU
1959	Chris Burford	757	Stanford
1957	Stuart Vaughan	756	Utah

NCAA Total Yards Leaders by Year

Former Oregon QB Marcus Mariota | USATSI

Year	Player	Yards	School
2014	Marcus Mariota	5224	Oregon
1991	Ty Detmer	4001	BYU
1988	Scott Mitchell	4299	Utah
1987	Todd Santos	3688	SDSU
1985	Robbie Bosco	4141	BYU
1984	Robbie Bosco	3932	BYU
1983	Steve Young	4346	BYU
1980	Jim McMahon	4627	BYU
1979	Marc Wilson	3580	BYU
1973	Jesse Freitas	2901	SDSU
1971	Don Bunce	2805	Stanford
1970	Jim Plunkett	3189	Stanford
1969	Dennis Shaw	3197	SDSU
1966	Virgil Carter	2545	BYU
1962	Terry Baker	2276	OSU
1960	Billy Kilmer	1889	UCLA
1959	Dick Norman	2018	Stanford
1957	Bob Newman	1444	WSU