The NCAA Division I FBS receiving leaders are the career, single-season, and single-game leaders in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receptions. The lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
Since 1955, the length of the regular season has expanded from 10 games to 11 and later to 12 games, with some programs now playing additional postseason games, including conference championship games, bowl games, and the College Football Playoff. The NCAA did not permit freshmen to compete in varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of World War II–era seasons), preventing earlier players from accumulating statistics over four full seasons. Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002. As a result, many pre-2002 players are underrepresented; for example, Trevor Insley had 98 receiving yards in the 1996 Las Vegas Bowl, which would have brought his career total to 5,103 yards if counted. Beginning with the Southeastern Conference in 1992, FBS conferences introduced championship games, which have always counted toward official single-season and career statistics. The NCAA ruled that the 2020 season, which was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, would not count against a player’s athletic eligibility, effectively granting an additional year of eligibility to players active that season. Since 2018, players have been allowed to participate in as many as four games in a redshirt season; previously, playing in even one game "burned" the redshirt. Since 2024, postseason games have not counted against the four-game limit. These changes to redshirt rules have given very recent players several extra games to accumulate statistics. Only statistics accumulated while a player’s team competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) are included. For example, only one of Randy Moss’s two seasons at Marshall (1997) counts toward these lists because the program was previously in the FCS.
Legend Active FBS Player
Statistics are accurate as of the end of the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
Receiving yards Career The career leader in receiving yards is Corey Davis of Western Michigan. Rather than having a single standout season, Davis accumulated a remarkably consistent four-year total, posting 941, 1,408, 1,429, and 1,500 yards. He broke the previous record held by Trevor Insley of Nevada. Before Insley, the record was held by a pair of Wyoming receivers: Ryan Yarborough and Marcus Harris.
# Player Yards Team 1 Corey Davis 5,285 2013 2014 2015 2016 Western Michigan 2 Trevor Insley 5,005 1996 1997 1998 1999 Nevada 3 Ryan Broyles 4,586 2008 2009 2010 2011 Oklahoma 4 Justin Hardy 4,541 2011 2012 2013 2014 East Carolina 5 Marcus Harris 4,518 1993 1994 1995 1996 Wyoming 6 Patrick Edwards 4,507 2008 2009 2010 2011 Houston 7 Jacob Cowing 4,477 2019 2020 2021 UTEP ᛫ 2022 2023 Arizona 8 James Washington 4,472 2014 2015 2016 2017 Oklahoma State 9 Rashaun Woods 4,414 2000 2001 2002 2003 Oklahoma State 10 Ryan Yarborough 4,357 1990 1991 1992 1993 Wyoming 11 Troy Edwards 4,352 1996 1997 1998 Louisiana Tech 12 Aaron Turner 4,345 1989 1990 1991 1992 Pacific Greg Salas 4,345 2007 2008 2009 2010 Hawaii 14 Zay Jones 4,279 2013 2014 2015 2016 East Carolina 15 Terance Mathis 4,254 1985 1986 1987 1989 New Mexico
# Player Yards Team 16 Geoff Noisy 4,249 1995 1996 1997 1998 Nevada 17 Taywan Taylor 4,234 2013 2014 2015 2016 Western Kentucky 18 Jordan White 4,187 2007 2009 2010 2011 Western Michigan 19 Trent Taylor 4,179 2013 2014 2015 2016 Louisiana Tech 20 Jarett Dillard 4,138 2005 2006 2007 2008 Rice 21 Corey Rucker 4,121 2020 2021 2023 2024 2025 Arkansas State ᛫ 2022 South Carolina 22 Zakhari Franklin 4,038 2019 2020 2021 2022 UTSA ᛫ 2023 Ole Miss ᛫ 2024 Illinois 23 Darius Watts 4,031 2000 2001 2002 2003 Marshall 24 Kendall Wright 4,004 2008 2009 2010 2011 Baylor 25 Troy Walters 3,986 1996 1997 1998 1999 Stanford 26 DeVonta Smith 3,965 2017 2018 2019 2020 Alabama 27 James Proche 3,949 2016 2017 2018 2019 SMU 28 Derek Hagan 3,939 2002 2003 2004 2005 Arizona State 29 Mike Hass 3,924 2002 2003 2004 2005 Oregon State 30 Jason Rivers 3,919 2003 2004 2006 2007 Hawaii
Single season Insley holds the single-season record as the only player to ever catch for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He edged out the record set by Troy Edwards the previous season.
# Player Yards Team 1 Trevor Insley 2,006 1999 Nevada 2 Troy Edwards 1,996 1998 Louisiana Tech 3 Michael Crabtree 1,962 2007 Texas Tech 4 Jordan White 1,911 2011 Western Michigan 5 Jerreth Sterns 1,902 2021 Western Kentucky 6 Greg Salas 1,889 2010 Hawaii 7 DeVonta Smith 1,856 2020 Alabama 8 Alex Van Dyke 1,854 1995 Nevada 9 Terrance Williams 1,832 2012 Baylor 10 Trent Taylor 1,803 2016 Louisiana Tech
# Player Yards Team 11 J. R. Tolver 1,785 2002 San Diego State 12 Justin Blackmon 1,782 2010 Oklahoma State 13 Danario Alexander 1,781 2009 Missouri 14 Ja'Marr Chase 1,780 2019 LSU 15 Howard Twilley 1,779 1965 Tulsa 16 Freddie Barnes 1,770 2009 Bowling Green 17 Patrick Edwards 1,752 2011 Houston 18 Rashard Higgins 1,750 2014 Colorado State 19 Zay Jones 1,746 2016 East Carolina 20 Josh Reed 1,740 2001 LSU
# Player Yards Team21 Brandin Cooks 1,730 2013 Oregon State Taywan Taylor 1,730 2016 Western Kentucky 23 Amari Cooper 1,727 2014 Alabama 24 Marqise Lee 1,724 2012 USC 25 Davante Adams 1,718 2013 Fresno State 26 Ashley Lelie 1,713 2001 Hawaii 27 Troy Edwards 1,707 1997 Louisiana Tech 28 Deven Thompkins 1,704 2021 Utah State 29 Andy Isabella 1,698 2018 UMass 30 Rashaun Woods 1,695 2002 Oklahoma State
Single game Edwards holds the single-game record for 405. Of particular note is a 1967 game in which two different Tulsa receivers had over 300 yards.
# Player Yards Date / Team 1 Troy Edwards 405 Aug. 29, 1998 Louisiana Tech 2 Jeremy Gallon 369 Oct. 19, 2013 Michigan 3 Randy Gatewood 363 Sep. 17, 1994 UNLV 4 Chuck Hughes 349 Sep. 18, 1965 Texas Western 5 Jaxon Smith-Njigba 347 Jan. 1, 2022 Ohio State 6 Donnie Avery 346 Oct. 13, 2007 Houston 7 Marqise Lee 345 Oct. 27, 2012 USC 8 Casey Fitzgerald 327 Sep. 8, 2007 North Texas 9 Nate Burleson 326 Nov. 10, 2001 Nevada Carlos Henderson 326 Oct. 15, 2016 Louisiana Tech 11 Rick Eber 322 Oct. 7, 1967 Tulsa 12 Harry Wood 318 Patrick Edwards 318 Oct. 27, 2011 Houston 14 Jeff Evans 316 Sep. 30, 1978 New Mexico State 15 Alex Van Dyke 314 Nov. 18, 1995 Nevada Terrance Williams 314 Nov. 18, 2012 Baylor
# Player Yards Date / Team 17 Chad Mackey 310 Oct. 16, 1996 Louisiana Tech Corey Rucker 310 Dec. 5, 2020 Arkansas State 19 Jason Rivers 308 Dec. 24, 2006 Hawaii Kayshon Boutte 308 Dec. 19, 2020 LSU 21 Tetairoa McMillan 304 Aug. 31, 2024 Arizona 22 Cobi Hamilton 303 Sep. 22, 2012 Arkansas Stedman Bailey 303 Sep. 29, 2012 West Virginia Andy Isabella 303 Nov. 3, 2018 UMass 25 Chris Daniels 301 Oct. 16, 1999 Purdue 26 Adarius Bowman 300 Oct. 14, 2006 Oklahoma State 27 Brian Oliver 297 Oct. 9, 1993 Ball State Aaron Jones 297 Nov. 11, 2000 Utah State 29 Geoff Noisy 296 Nov. 9, 1996 Nevada J. R. Tolver 296 Sep. 14, 2002 San Diego State James Washington 296 Sep. 17, 2016 Oklahoma State
Receiving touchdowns Career The career leader in receiving touchdowns is Rice's Jarett Dillard, who in 2008 broke a 20-year-old record set by Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards in 1998. Edwards remains third on the list despite only having played for 3 seasons.
# Player TDs Team 1 Jarett Dillard 60 2005 2006 2007 2008 Rice 2 Corey Davis 52 2013 2014 2015 2016 Western Michigan 3 Troy Edwards 50 1996 1997 1998 Louisiana Tech 4 Darius Watts 47 2000 2001 2002 2003 Marshall 5 DeVonta Smith 46 2017 2018 2019 2020 Alabama 6 Ryan Broyles 45 2008 2009 2010 2011 Oklahoma 7 Aaron Turner 43 1989 1990 1991 1992 Pacific Patrick Edwards 43 2008 2009 2010 2011 Houston 9 Ryan Yarborough 42 1990 1991 1992 1993 Wyoming Rashaun Woods 42 2000 2001 2002 2003 Oklahoma StateZakhari Franklin 42 2019 2020 2021 2022 UTSA ᛫ 2023 Ole Miss ᛫ 2024 Illinois 12 Dwayne Jarrett 41 2004 2005 2006 USC Davone Bess 41 2005 2006 2007 Hawaii Michael Crabtree 41 2007 2008 Texas Tech Stedman Bailey 41 2010 2011 2012 West Virginia Taywan Taylor 41 2013 2014 2015 2016 Western Kentucky
# Player TDs Team 17 Justin Blackmon 40 2009 2010 2011 Oklahoma State 18 Braylon Edwards 39 2001 2002 2003 2004 Michigan Greg Jennings 39 2002 2003 2004 2005 Western Michigan Austin Pettis 39 2007 2008 2009 2010 Boise State James Washington 39 2014 2015 2016 2017 Oklahoma State James Proche 39 2016 2017 2018 2019 SMU 23 Clarkston Hines 38 1986 1987 1988 1989 Duke Ryan Yarborough 38 1990 1991 1992 1993 Wyoming Davante Adams 38 2012 2013 Fresno State Jaelon Darden 38 2017 2018 2019 2020 North Texas 27 Michael Floyd 37 2008 2009 2010 2011 Notre Dame Titus Davis 37 2011 2012 2013 2014 Central Michigan Gabe Marks 37 2012 2013 2015 2016 Washington State Anthony Miller 37 2015 2016 2017 Memphis
Single season Edwards tops the list of single-season touchdowns with 27.
# Player TDs Team 1 Troy Edwards 27 1998 Louisiana Tech 2 Randy Moss 25 1997 Marshall Stedman Bailey 25 2012 West Virginia 4 Davante Adams 24 2013 Fresno State 5 DeVonta Smith 23 2020 Alabama 6 Manny Hazard 22 1989 Houston Larry Fitzgerald 22 2003 Pittsburgh Michael Crabtree 22 2007 Texas Tech 9 Jarett Dillard 21 2006 Rice 10 Jarett Dillard 20 2008 Rice Justin Blackmon 20 2010 Oklahoma State Patrick Edwards 20 2011 Houston Corey Coleman 20 2015 Baylor Ja'Marr Chase 20 2019 LSU
# Player TDs Team 15 Desmond Howard 19 1991 Michigan Ashley Lelie 19 2001 Hawaii Dez Bryant 19 2008 Oklahoma State Michael Crabtree 19 2008 Texas Tech Freddie Barnes 19 2009 Bowling Green Lyle Leong 19 2010 Texas Tech Corey Davis 19 2016 Western Michigan Carlos Henderson 19 2016 Louisiana Tech Jaelon Darden 19 2020 North Texas
# Player TDs Team 24 Tom Reynolds 18 1971 San Diego State Dennis Smith 18 1989 Utah Aaron Turner 18 1991 Pacific Reidel Anthony 18 1996 Florida Eugene Baker 18 1997 Kent State Darius Watts 18 2001 Marshall Justin Blackmon 18 2011 Oklahoma State DeAndre Hopkins 18 2012 Clemson Anthony Miller 18 2017 Memphis David Sills V 18 2017 West Virginia Justin Jefferson 18 2019 LSU
Single game The single-game record is held by Oklahoma State's Rashaun Woods, who caught 7 touchdown passes in a 2003 game against SMU. Many players have had 5 touchdown receptions in the same game.
# Player TDs Date / Team 1 Rashaun Woods 7Sep. 20, 2003 Oklahoma State 2 Tim Delaney 6Nov. 15, 1969 San Diego State
Receptions Career The career leader in receptions is East Carolina's Zay Jones, who broke his former teammate Justin Hardy's record in 2016. The first players to catch at least 300 passes in their careers were Purdue's Taylor Stubblefield and Marshall's Josh Davis, both of whom passed 300 catches in 2004.
# Player Rec Team 1 Zay Jones 399 2013 2014 2015 2016 East Carolina 2 Justin Hardy 387 2011 2012 2013 2014 East Carolina 3 Ryan Broyles 349 2008 2009 2010 2011 Oklahoma 4 Corey Davis 332 2013 2014 2015 2016 Western Michigan 5 Trent Taylor 328 2013 2014 2015 2016 Louisiana Tech 6 LaJohntay Wester 326 2020 2021 2022 2023 Florida Atlantic ᛫ 2024 Colorado 7 Tommy Shuler 322 2011 2012 2013 2014 Marshall 8 Zakhari Franklin 321 2019 2020 2021 2022 UTSA ᛫ 2023 Ole Miss ᛫ 2024 Illinois 9 Tyron Carrier 320 2008 2009 2010 2011 Houston 10 Justin Hall 318 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Ball State 11 Taylor Stubblefield 316 2001 2002 2003 2004 Purdue Gabe Marks 316 2012 2013 2015 2016 Washington State Jacob Cowing 316 2019 2020 2021 UTEP ᛫ 2022 2023 Arizona 14 Brennan Presley 315 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Oklahoma State 15 Joshua Cephus 313 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 UTSA