2026 College Football Rushing Leaders Through Week 4: SEC Star Climbing List

The very top of the rushing leaders list in college football has been the same all season, but the gap at the top is tightening by the week as more contenders enter the race for the FBS rushing crown.

After Week 4, five running backs are rushing for a least 125 yards per game with one SEC star in particular charging up the chart.

Here's a look at the top 10 rushing leaders nationally, ranked by yards per game, counting down from 10 to 1.

10. Jaylin Carter [Memphis, 109.25 YPG]

Memphis' Jaylin Carter ranks among the top running backs in the country with 437 rushing yards and 6 TDs. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jaylin Carter's pace has slowed a bit in recent weeks, but the Memphis sophomore continues to sit just inside the top 10 rushing yards leaders at 109.25 yards per game.

Carter had a season-low 62 yards on 12 carries (plus a receiving TD) in a 45-21 win over Tennessee-Martin in Week 4.

Overall, Carter has rushed for 437 yards and 6 TDs on 7.95 yards per carry.

9. LJ Martin [BYU, 109.33 YPG]

LJ Martin has been the engine for BYU's offense again this season with 328 rushing yards and 3 TDs in three games. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. 10-ranked BYU (3-0) had a bye in Week 4, so LJ Martin remains at 328 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 7.8 YPC.

That 109.33 rushing yards per game average keeps him just inside the top 10 for now heading into a roadgame at TCU this week.

8. Antwan Raymond [Rutgers, 109.5 YPG]

Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond has over 120 rushing yards in his last three games. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Antwan Raymond was expected to be one of the more prolific running backs in the country this season, and after a quiet season-opener, the Rutgers star has lived up to that projection.

Raymond had just 42 yards on 14 carries to open the season vs. Massachusetts but has since tallied 134 rushing yards vs. Boston College, 122 and a TD vs. USC and 140 and 3 TDs last Friday night vs. Howard.

With 438 rushing yards, he's right on pace with his breakout 2025 season in which he broke out for 1,241 yards and 13 TDs for the Scarlet Knights.

7. Caleb Hawkins [Oklahoma State, 110.25 YPG]

Oklahoma State Cowboys Caleb Hawkins has been a major catalyst in the Cowboys' impressive 3-1 start. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If there was any question how Caleb Hawkins' abilities would transfer from North Texas to a Power 4 conference at Oklahoma State, well, it's been answered.

Hawkins, who rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 TDs as a true freshman at North Texas, is at it again with 441 rushing yards and 2 TDs through four games.

And Hawkins was at his best in his true Big 12 debut, rushing 31 times for 180 yards and a TD in Oklahoma State's 41-24 road win Saturday at previously unbeaten West Virginia.

Caleb Hawkins went OFF last night vs. West Virginia
🔥31 carries
🔥180 rushing yards
🔥1 rushing TD@CowboyFB pic.twitter.com/kFk1I8TnZS
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) September 27, 2026

After winning just one game last season, the new-look Cowboys are 3-1 and ranked No. 19 under first-year coach Eric Morris, who also came from North Texas. That includes the Week 2 upset of Oregon.

6. Wayne Knight [UCLA, 111.25 YPG]

Running back Wayne Knight has given UCLA a spark as a transfer from James Madison with 445 rushing yards and 9 TDs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Speaking of former Group of 5 (now Group of 6) stars making a seamless jump to the Power 4 level, Wayne Knight has been outstanding in his move from James Madison to UCLA.

Knight, who followed his head coach Bob Chesney into the Big Ten, has rushed for 445 yards and 9 TDs on a career-best 9.1 YPC so far, powering No. 23 UCLA to a 4-0 start.

Wayne Knight is running out of defenders to embarrass 💨

10 CAR, 100 RUYDS, 1 TD, 3 REC, 35 REC YDS vs Maryland

Ten yards a carry, 135 from scrimmage, ninth touchdown of the year. The Bruins are 4-0.pic.twitter.com/DFuGySLUk9
— CFB Performances (@performancesCFB) September 26, 2026

In Knight's first two Big Ten games, he ran for 177 yards and 2 TDs (plus 23 receiving yards) in a 52-38 win over Purdue and 100 yards and a TD on only 10 carries (with 35 receiving yards) in a 54-3 win over Maryland.

Knight starred for Chesney at James Madison, rumbling for 1,373 rushing yards and 9 TDs during the Dukes' CFP breakthrough last season.

5. Cam Cook [West Virginia, 127.50 YPG]

Cam Cook has 510 rushing yards in four games for West Virginia after transferring in from Jacksonville State. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ditto Cam Cook, for that matter.

Cook led all FBS players with 127.62 rushing yards per game (1,659 yards) last season at Jacksonville State, and parlayed that success into an opportunity at West Virginia this season.

So far, so good, as Cook has 510 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 5.2 YPC through four games for 3-1 West Virginia.

4. Torrance Burgess Jr. [Texas State, 134.25 YPG]

Fifth-year senior Torrance Burgess Jr. is one of the biggest surprises of the college football season.

His best production came way back in 2023 when he rushed for 620 yards at UTEP. He rushed for 367 yards in 2024 in his first season at Texas State and then was limited to four games last fall before an injury shut him down.

So it was hard to know this was coming for Burgess, who is up to 537 rushing yards on 8.5 YPC through four games.

After being held to 34 yards on 12 carries in Week 1 vs. Texas, Burgess has reeled off games of 149 yards vs. UTSA, 214 yards vs. North Texas and then 140 yards and a TD on only 9 carries vs. Incarnate Word.

3. Dylan Riley [Boise State, 148.0 YPG]

Dylan Riley is having another big season for Boise State with 592 rushing yards in four games. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dylan Riley is no surprise on this list.

He broke out for 1,125 yards and 10 TDs on 5.8 YPC last season for Boise State, and through four games this fall Riley is already up to 592 yards and 3 TDs on a career-best 6.6 YPC.

He's had at least 138 rushing yards in each of his last three games to continue climbing this leaders list.

2. Jadan Baugh [Florida, 150.0 YPG]

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh celebrates with a Heisman pose during a 52-28 win over then-No. 4 Ole Miss. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jadan Baugh is surging up the rushing leaders list by the week.

The established star has five straight 100-yard rushing games going back to last season, matching a feat accomplished at Florida by only Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor.

Jadan Baugh is stacking dominant performances week after week and is the engine for this undefeated Florida team

30 touches, 154 yards, 3 TDs, 8 missed tackles forced. Not a lot of players move like he can at this size pic.twitter.com/PMl5mF0PGz
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 27, 2026

Baugh has at least 136 rushing yards and 2 TDs in all four games this season, including his 142 yards and 3 TDs on 29 carries in a 52-28 win over then-No. 4 Ole Miss last weekend.

Baugh has powered the Gators to a 4-0 start and No. 8 national ranking in coach Jon Sumrall's first season.

1. Nate Sheppard [Duke, 161.0 YPG]

Duke star Nate Sheppard leads the FBS level with 644 rushing yards in four games. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the top of this list is getting tighter, nobody has caught Duke sophomore star Nate Sheppard yet.

Sheppard had a light work day in Week 4, getting just 9 carries but turning them into 116 yards and a TD as the Blue Devils rolled over FCS foe William & Mary, 62-7.

That was a season-low rushing output Sheppard -- purely because he wasn't needed for more -- after he opened the season with 227 rushing yards and 2 TDs vs. Tulane, 147 yards and a TD at Illinois and 154 yards and 2 TDs vs. Stanford.

Overall, Sheppard has 644 rushing yards (161.0 YPG) and 6 TDs plus 3 receiving TDs for the 4-0 Blue Devils.

Add us as a preferred source on Google