In certain NCAAF seasons, the end zone became familiar territory for a select group of runners. Short-yardage carries turned routine, goal-line chances piled up and touchdown totals began climbing beyond what most years ever produce.
Those spikes rarely came by accident. Heavy workloads, dominant offensive lines and game scripts that favored the run pushed some players into weekly scoring roles. Over time, the numbers separated themselves.
These rushing touchdown totals remain unusually intact. They sit above the rest not as anomalies, but as results of sustained opportunity and control, shaped by offenses that knew exactly where their most reliable points would come from.
Barry Sanders | Rush TD: 37
Barry Sanders’ 1988 season at Oklahoma State stands as a high-water mark in NCAAF history — not just for the raw total of 37 rushing touchdowns, but for the relentlessness with which he scored them.
In an era defined by power football and clock-burning ground games, he was a blemish on every defensive game plan he faced, turning every short run into a potential six-pointer. That season, he didn’t just pile up numbers; he rewrote expectations for what a back could do in an 11-game college schedule, still unmatched decades later.
Montee Ball | Rush TD: 33
In 2011, Montee Ball became synonymous with red-zone dominance for Wisconsin. His 33 rushing touchdowns came as part of a season in which he also led the nation in scoring, doing damage both on the ground and through the air.
His production didn’t occur in fits and starts — it was the result of a Badgers offense built to grind, convert and keep defenders guessing. His ability to finish drives consistently was a central thread in one of the most efficient scoring campaigns in FBS history.
Bryson Daily | Rush TD: 32
Bryson Daily’s 2024 campaign at Army marked a rare emergence of a quarterback on the single-season rushing touchdown leaderboard, a space usually reserved for feature backs.
With 32 rushing scores, he blended option-style quarterbacking with a nose for the pylon, exploiting the Black Knights’ triple-option system to devastating effect. His performances weren’t just prolific, they reflected a scheme and player in perfect sync, turning the ground game into Army’s most reliable source of points.
Devin Singletary | Rush TD: 32
Devin Singletary’s 2017 season with Florida Atlantic was a showcase of explosiveness meshed with consistency. Known in college circles as “The Truth,” he churned out touchdowns behind a mix of burst and toughness, creating scoring chances from the first quarter to the fourth.
He wasn’t merely a beneficiary of opportunity; he maximized each trip inside the red zone, turning FAU’s offensive balance into a scoring machine that terrorized defenses across the Conference USA schedule.
Kapri Bibbs | Rush TD: 31
Kapri Bibbs’ climb into the 30-touchdown club was an ascent few projected at the season’s start. At Colorado State in 2013, he emerged as a dual-threat weapon who wore down opponents with physicality and timing, consistently finding the end zone whether the game called for power runs or slashing cutbacks.
His 31 rushing touchdown campaign stands not just as a testament to his own skill, but to an offense that found ways to confront pressure directly and convert it into points week after week.
Keenan Reynolds | Rush TD: 31
In 2013, Navy’s Keenan Reynolds turned the Midshipmen’s option attack into a scoring machine, finishing his sophomore year with 31 rushing touchdowns — an extraordinary feat for a quarterback in the run-oriented attack of Annapolis.
He wasn’t just piling up yardage; he was the centerpiece of a relentless ground game that punished over-aggressive defenses near the goal line. That season also marked his emergence as an elite college ball carrier, foreshadowing the career rushing-TD total that would make him the all-time FBS leader in that category by the end of his Navy run.
Ashton Jeanty | Rush TD: 29
Ashton Jeanty’s 2024 journey at Boise State unfolded as one of the most electric seasons by a running back in recent memory. The junior carved his way into the 29-touchdown club while rewriting the Broncos’ single-season rushing record and challenging national milestones typically held by legends.
Week after week, he demonstrated a rare blend of power and creativity, repeatedly breaking through tackles and turning standard carries into highlight-worthy scoring runs. His campaign also helped propel Boise State into the College Football Playoff landscape, underscoring how his production became synonymous with his team’s success.
Melvin Gordon | Rush TD: 29
The 2014 season for Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon was a study in efficiency and consistency. Operating behind one of the most respected offensive lines in the Big Ten, he racked up 29 rushing touchdowns as part of a broader campaign that also placed him near the top of FBS rushing yardage lists.
Unlike some of his peers, his rushes blended brute strength with sudden acceleration, hammering down the stretch and repeatedly converting short fields into points. That season remains a benchmark for power backs emerging from traditionally balanced, physical offenses.
Kevin Smith | Rush TD: 29
In 2007, Kevin Smith’s season at UCF didn’t just break school records — it announced his name on the national stage. His 29 rushing touchdowns came as part of a breakout year that combined durability with spike-week production, helping anchor a Knights offense that wore down defenses game after game.
His output was part of a broader tapestry that saw him also approach top-tier single-season rushing yardage, illustrating how consistency in finishing trips can elevate a back from good to historically notable.
Mike Rozier | Rush TD: 29
Long before modern spread offenses reshaped college scoring, Mike Rozier’s 1983 campaign at Nebraska showcased old-school ground dominance. His 29 rushing touchdowns anchored an offense built on power and physicality, setting the tone for the Cornhuskers’ rush-first identity during that era.
His ability to find seams and convert opportunities was less a product of scheme innovation than brute force and timing — traits that would later define his play at the professional level and secure his place among the most memorable backs of his time.
| Player | Team | Season | Rushing touchdowns |
| Barry Sanders | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 1988 | 37 |
| Montee Ball | Wisconsin Badgers | 2011 | 33 |
| Bryson Daily | Army Black Knights | 2024 | 32 |
| Devin Singletary | Florida Atlantic Owls | 2017 | 32 |
| Kapri Bibbs | Colorado State Rams | 2013 | 31 |
| Keenan Reynolds | Navy Midshipmen | 2013 | 31 |
| Ashton Jeanty | Boise State Broncos | 2024 | 29 |
| Melvin Gordon | Wisconsin Badgers | 2014 | 29 |
| Kevin Smith | UCF Golden Knights | 2007 | 29 |
| Mike Rozier | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 1983 | 29 |
| Derrick Henry | Alabama Crimson Tide | 2015 | 28 |
| Jay Ajayi | Boise State Broncos | 2014 | 28 |
| Toby Gerhart | Stanford Cardinal | 2009 | 28 |
| Willis McGahee | Miami Hurricanes | 2002 | 28 |
| Terry Metcalf | Long Beach State 49ers | 1971 | 28 |
| Blake Corum | Michigan Wolverines | 2023 | 27 |
| Anthony Wales | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | 2016 | 27 |
| Kenneth Dixon | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | 2012 | 27 |
| Collin Klein | Kansas State Wildcats | 2011 | 27 |
| Bernard Pierce | Temple Owls | 2011 | 27 |
| Ricky Dobbs | Navy Midshipmen | 2009 | 27 |
| Lee Suggs | Virginia Tech Hokies | 2000 | 27 |
| Ricky Williams | Texas Longhorns | 1998 | 27 |
| Najee Harris | Alabama Crimson Tide | 2020 | 26 |
| James Conner | Pittsburgh Panthers | 2014 | 26 |