The Rushing Leaders

Penn State’s All-time Rushing Leaders—

The Career Rushing Yards Leaders List—

All of the rushing totals for Penn State RBs on this list are adjusted to “Modified/Complete” stats… This is where so-called “unofficial” pre-2002 Bowl stats are included, and therefore differ from the Penn State Official Record Book & Media Guide—The 2002 season is the first where the NCAA & colleges considered Bowl & post-season stats to be official… This list is a much more accurate/realistic comparison of PSU running backs across the decades…

Last active season at PSU in parentheses—(asterisk * indicates player left PS before eligibility expired/percent sign % indicates that player was not eligible by NCAA rule to play as a Freshman)

  1. Evan Royster 3932 yards (2010)—Royster broke Warner career record on 686 rushes (which was “official” record before Allen broke it in 2025)

  2. Curt Warner 3872 yards (1982)—Warner is 2nd ahead of Barkley when his 474 career yards on 76 carries in Bowl rushing is counted & he actually broke Suhey career mark not Mitchell’s as “official” stats would suggest—Warner is still the actual career leader in carries with 725 (first to actually cross 700 rushes at PSU)

  3. Saquon Barkley 3843 yards (2017*)—671 career rushes

  4. Kaytron Allen 3794 yards (still active in 2025 with 722 career rushes—1st “officially” & 2nd to Warner all-time “Modified”)

  5. Blair Thomas 3484 yards (1989)

  6. DJ Dozier 3402 yards (1986)

  7. Curtis Enis 3375 yards (1997*)

  8. Nick Singleton 3331 yards (still active in 2025 with 606 career rushes)

  9. Tony Hunt 3320 yards (2006)

  10. Matt Suhey 3094 yards (1979)—Suhey actually broke Mitchell career record

  11. Ki-Jana Carter 3085 yards (1994*)

  12. Lydell Mitchell 3081 yards (1971 %)—Mitchell is actually first PSU back to reach 3K plateau and break Pittman record

  13. Larry Johnson 2983 yards (2002)

  14. John Cappelletti 2689 yards (1973 %)—Only played RB for 2 seasons (545 carries)—was DB/Return Specialist in 1971

  15. Eric McCoo 2666 yards (2001)

  16. Charlie Pittman 2501 yards (1969 %)—First to actually pass 2500 yards and break Moore record

  17. Lenny Moore 2380 yards (1955 %)—First to reach 2K plateau

  18. Booker Moore 2203 yards (1980)

  19. Jon Williams 2178 yards (1983)

  20. Zach Zwinak 2108 yards (2014)—Redshirt Sr. season cut short by injury in Game 7 vs. Ohio State

  21. Franco Harris 2095 yards (1971 %)—FYI-Franco’s official total is 2002 yards

  22. Richie Anderson 1853 yards (1992*)

  23. Mike Archie 1830 yards (1995)

    No other RBs have reached the 1800-yard plateau

LINK HERE TO RUSHING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS

The Career Rushing Yards Per Carry Leaders List—(minimum 250 rushes)

  1. Ki-Jana Carter* 7.04 (7.16 in regular season only)—First and only player to complete career at 7+ YPC both “officially” at PSU and on “Modified/Complete” stats list (438 career carries)

  2. Larry Johnson 6.40—466 career carries

  3. Lenny Moore % 6.23—First to complete career at 6+ YPC (382 career carries)

  4. Bobby Campbell % 6.08—260 career rushes for 1581 yards (1966-68) are fewest totals on this list

  5. Miles Sanders* 5.97—276 career rushes for 1649 yards (2016-18)

  6. Lydell Mitchell % 5.78

  7. Evan Royster 5.73—686 career carries is most on this list

  8. Saquon Barkley* 5.73 (rounded up from 5.727)

  9. Curtis Enis* 5.69

  10. Roger Kochman % 5.65—289 career rushes for 1634 yards (1959-62)

  11. Mike Archie 5.58

    ACTIVE PLAYERS IN 2025 (through 10 games)—Nick Singleton 5.50 & Kaytron Allen 5.25

    The Career Rushing Carries List—(650+ rushes)

    725—Curt Warner (averaged 5.34 yards per carry in career all games/6.24 YPC in Bowls only)

    722—Kaytron Allen (still active in 2025)—holds “official” record at PSU

    686—Evan Royster (this was “official” PSU record prior to Allen in 2025—Warner’s official rush total is 649)

    684—Matt Suhey

    671—DJ Dozier

    671-Saquon Barkley

    654—Tony Hunt

    (Nick Singleton is still active in 2025 with 606 career rushes through 10 games)

The Single Season Leaders—

All stats are “Modified/Complete” including all Bowls/Post-Season games—

  1. Larry Johnson 2087 yards in 2002—For the record, LJ rushed for 72 yards in the 2003 Capital One Bowl loss to Auburn, so he crossed the 2K mark in the regular season finale against Michigan State when he rushed for 279 yards—He broke both Lydell Mitchell’s “official” single-season record of 1567 yards and Lydell’s “Modified/Complete” mark of 1713 yards in the 2002 game at Indiana where LJ rushed for a PSU record 327 yards leaving him with 1736 yards at that time—Johnson passed the 2K mark in 251 carries (he had 271 on the season) which was the fewest carries in FBS all-time to reach 2000 yards in a single season (LJ held that record until 2014).

  2. Lydell Mitchell 1713 yards in 1971—146 rushing yards in the 1972 Cotton Bowl win over Texas.

  3. Ki-Jana Carter 1695 yards in 1994—156 rushing yards in the 1995 Rose Bowl win over Oregon.

  4. John Cappelletti 1572 yards in 1973—50 rushing yards in the 1974 Orange Bowl win over LSU.

  5. Blair Thomas 1527 yards in 1989—186 rushing yards in the 1989 Holiday Bowl win over BYU.

  6. Saquon Barkley 1496 yards in 2016—83 rushing yards in 2016 Big 10 Championship win over Wisconsin & 194 rushing yards in 2017 Rose Bowl loss to USC.

  7. Blair Thomas 1414 yards in 1987—Missed 1988 Citrus Bowl due to injury.

  8. Tony Hunt 1386 yards in 2006—158 rushing yards in 2007 Outback Bowl win over Tennessee.

  9. Curtis Enis 1363 yards in 1997—Missed 1998 Citrus Bowl due to eligibility issues.

  10. Rodney Kinlaw 1329 yards in 2007—143 yards rushing in 2007 Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M.

  11. Curtis Enis 1305 yards in 1996—95 rushing yards in 1997 Fiesta Bowl win over Texas.

    Curtis Enis & Blair Thomas are the only 2 RBs in PSU history to rush for 1300+ yards in two different seasons

    The last Nittany Lion to rush for 1-thousand yards in the regular season only—Miles Sanders in 2018—1223 yards in 12 games—Including the 2019 Citrus Bowl vs. Kentucky, Sanders had 1274 total rushing yards.

    Most 1,000-yard rushing seasons (3)—Curt Warner (1,077 in 1980; 1,189 in 1981; & 1,158 in 1982), Evan Royster (1,236 in 2008; 1,169 in 2009; & 1,014 in 2010), & Saquon Barkley (1,076 in 2015; 1,496 in 2016; & 1,271 in 2017)—all totals include bowls/post-season yards

    The Single Game Leaders—

    The 220+ yard Club—

    327 yards—Larry Johnson at Indiana 2002 (LJ’s only 200+ yard game on road)

    279 yards—Larry Johnson vs. Illinois 2002 (279 remains the Beaver Stadium record)

    279 yards—Larry Johnson vs. Michigan State in 2002 (this game’s total was entirely in the first half and remains the record for a single half of rushing)

    257 yards—Larry Johnson vs. Northwestern in 2002 (this broke Warner record set in ‘81)

    256 yards—Curt Warner at Syracuse in 1981 (this broke Miller record set in 1913 & remains the record by a true Junior RB)

    250 yards—Shorty Miller vs. Carnegie Tech in 1913 (this remains the New Beaver Field record although stats are limited on this game—typically it’s listed without numbers for rushing attempts or TDs, but the Media Guide’s Timeline account of the game credits Miller with 5 TDs—it was also Miller’s lone career 100+ yard rushing game)

    243 yards—Bob Pollard at Rutgers in 1951 (this was Pollard’s lone career 100+ yard rushing game)

    241 yards—Curtis Enis vs. USC in the 1996 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium (this is the neutral site record & record by a Sophomore RB)

    239 yards—Bobby Campbell vs. Syracuse in 1968

    238 yards—Curt Warner at Nebraska in 1981

    227 yards—Ki-Jana Carter vs. Michigan State in 1994

    225 yards—Matt Suhey vs. Army in 1979 (this was at the time the 4th best rushing game in PSU history)

    220 yards—John Cappelletti vs. NC State in 1973 (this was 2nd of 3 consecutive 200-yard games for Cappy)

    Most 100-yard rushing games in career—Curt Warner (18), Blair Thomas (17), Ki-Jana Carter (17), Curtis Enis (17), Lydell Mitchell (15), Tony Hunt (15), Evan Royster (15), Saquon Barkley (15), John Cappelletti (13), & Lenny Moore (12)

    Players with 3 career 200+ yard rushing games other than Larry Johnson—John Cappelletti (1973—202 at Maryland, 220 vs. NC State, & 204 vs. Ohio Univ.), Saquon Barkley (2016—202 vs. Maryland & 207 at Purdue, 2017—211 at Iowa)

    Other Single Game Rushing Records—

    True Freshman rushing record—206 yards—Eric McCoo vs. Michigan State in 1998

    Bowl Game rushing record—202 yards—Journey Brown in 2019 Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis (also most recent PSU player to rush for 200+ yards in a game)

    Last PSU player to rush for 200 yards in a regular season game—Miles Sanders in 2018—200 yards at Illinois

    Last PSU player to rush for 200 yards in a game at Beaver Stadium—Saquon Barkley in 2016—202 yards vs. Maryland

    Players who rushed for 200+ yards once, but never rushed for 100+ yards again in career—Shorty Miller 250 yards vs. Carnegie Tech in 1913, Bob Pollard 243 yards at Rutgers in 1951, & Red-shirt Freshman Shelly Hammonds 208 yards at Boston College in 1990—in part, because he switched to Cornerback in 1992.

    Missing from PSU’s Single Game Rushing Records—

    One account of the 1909 Penn State game vs. West Virginia at New Beaver Field (published in the very first edition of Beaver Stadium Pictorial in 1960) reported that Nittany Lion back Bull McCleary rushed 23 times for 263 yards and 3 TDs in the 40-0 win over the Mountaineers. There is no official record in the Media Guide that supports this story or indicates that McCleary ever rushed for 100 yards in any one game in his career. The BSP story goes on to say that the second half of the game was shortened by the officials from 30- to 20-minutes out of “mercy for the visitors”.

    It should be noted that the “official Penn State record” 250-yard rushing game in 1913 by Shorty Miller also lacks statistical support in some areas. It was common in the early 20th century to combine rushing and kick/punt return numbers into a single “yards gained on the ground” stat, and this may have been the case with the McCleary numbers from 1909. Otherwise, the Bull’s 263-yard effort would have been the State rushing record that would have survived until the Illinois game in 2002.

Nittany Notes:

Larry Johnson is the lone PSU running back to rush for 2-thousand yards in a single season. He collected 2087 yards in the 2002 campaign for the Nittany Lions.

In 2024, Saquon Barkley became the first former Penn Stater to rush for over 2-thousand yards in a single NFL season. He ran for 2005 yards in the regular season and for 2504 yards overall as the Philadelphia Eagles rolled to a win in the Super Bowl.

With those two performances, PSU is one of only 4 major schools to have a 2K rusher in both college and the pros. PSU joined USC, Alabama, and Oklahoma State in that exclusive club.

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