The NCAA Division I FBS receiving leaders are career, single-season, and single-game leaders in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions.[1] These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
Since 1955, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.
The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until
1972 (with the exception of the
World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[2] This affects many players from before that time period. For example,
Trevor Insley had 98 receiving yards in the
1996 Las Vegas Bowl,[3] which would bring his career total to 5,103 if this game counted in his career statistics.
In recent decades, starting with the
Southeastern Conference in
1992, FBS conferences have introduced their own championship games, which have always counted fully toward single-season and career statistics.
The NCAA ruled that the 2020 season, heavily disrupted by
COVID-19, would not count against the athletic eligibility of any football player. This gave every player active in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.
Only seasons in which a team was considered to be a part of the
Football Bowl Subdivision are included in these lists. For example, only one of
Randy Moss's two seasons at
Marshall (
1997) is found on these lists.
All records are current as of the end of the
2023 season.
Receiving Yards
The career leader in receiving yards is
Western Michigan's
Corey Davis. Davis does not have any single seasons in the top 30, instead having a consistent run of 941, 1,408, 1,429, and 1,500 yards over his four seasons. He broke the record set by
Trevor Insley at
Nevada. Prior to Insley, the record was held by a pair of
Wyoming receivers,
Ryan Yarborough and then
Marcus Harris.
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. Edwards also holds the single-game record for 405. Of particular note is a 1967 game in which two different
Tulsa receivers had over 300 yards.
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.
Edwards tops the list of single-season touchdowns with 27, while
Oklahoma State's
Rashaun Woods tops the single-game list with 7.
The NCAA Division I FBS receiving leaders are career, single-season, and single-game leaders in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions.[1] These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
Since 1955, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.
The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until
1972 (with the exception of the
World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[2] This affects many players from before that time period. For example,
Trevor Insley had 98 receiving yards in the
1996 Las Vegas Bowl,[3] which would bring his career total to 5,103 if this game counted in his career statistics.
In recent decades, starting with the
Southeastern Conference in
1992, FBS conferences have introduced their own championship games, which have always counted fully toward single-season and career statistics.
The NCAA ruled that the 2020 season, heavily disrupted by
COVID-19, would not count against the athletic eligibility of any football player. This gave every player active in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.
Only seasons in which a team was considered to be a part of the
Football Bowl Subdivision are included in these lists. For example, only one of
Randy Moss's two seasons at
Marshall (
1997) is found on these lists.
All records are current as of the end of the
2023 season.
Receiving Yards
The career leader in receiving yards is
Western Michigan's
Corey Davis. Davis does not have any single seasons in the top 30, instead having a consistent run of 941, 1,408, 1,429, and 1,500 yards over his four seasons. He broke the record set by
Trevor Insley at
Nevada. Prior to Insley, the record was held by a pair of
Wyoming receivers,
Ryan Yarborough and then
Marcus Harris.
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. Edwards also holds the single-game record for 405. Of particular note is a 1967 game in which two different
Tulsa receivers had over 300 yards.
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.
Edwards tops the list of single-season touchdowns with 27, while
Oklahoma State's
Rashaun Woods tops the single-game list with 7.