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Week 1 College Football Rushing Leaders: Duke RB Nate Sheppard Has Career-Best Game

See the top rushing performances from college football in Week 1.
Ryan Young|
Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) rushed for 227 yards and 2 TDs vs. Tulane in Week 1. Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) rushed for 227 yards and 2 TDs vs. Tulane in Week 1. Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Duke Blue DevilsFlorida GatorsMemphis TigersNavy MidshipmenCharlotte 49ersTemple OwlsIowa HawkeyesNevada Wolf PackUNLV RebelsWest Virginia Mountaineers

While a slew of quarterbacks delivered gaudy passing numbers last week, two players across the FBS level stood alone as the only 200-yard rushers from Week 1 of the college football season -- and one was a quarterback.

Nonetheless, there were plenty of superlative running back performances nationally over the first full week of the season.

Here were the 10 best outputs statistically.

Duke quarterback Walker Eget (2) hands the ball off to running back Nate Sheppard (20) against Tulane.
Duke quarterback Walker Eget (2) hands the ball off to running back Nate Sheppard (20) during the second quarter against Tulane. Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

1. Duke RB Nate Sheppard (227 rushing yards)

Nate Sheppard was one of the best freshman running backs in the country last season, rumbling for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry while adding 37 catches for 286 yards and a score.

With Duke losing star quarterback Darian Mensah and top receiver Cooper Barkate via the transfer portal to Miami, Sheppard figures to be even more of a focal point for the Blue Devils' offense.

He certainly was Saturday, when he carried the ball a career-high 35 times for 227 yards and both of Duke's touchdowns in a 17-3 win over Tulane. He added 3 receptions for 19 yards.

The 35 carries were 12 more than his highest single-game total last season, and the rushing output was 57 yards beyond his previous best.

And Sheppard worked hard for those yards.

2. Navy QB Braxton Woodson (200)

It's no surprise to see a Navy quarterback rank among the week's rushing leaders, but a 200-yard game is a special feat regardless.

Braxton Woodson, a senior, takes over at QB for the Midshipmen this season with the graduation of two-year starter Blake Horvath, and he picked up right where his predecessor left off.

Woodson rushed for an even 200 yards and 3 TDs on 23 carries while attempting just 6 passes in Navy's 42-15 win over Towson. That was the most rushing yards by a Navy player since Horvath had 211 vs. Memphis in September of 2024.

T3. Iowa RB Kamari Moulton (183)

Kamari Moulton was good last season for Iowa (878 rushing yards and 5 TDs), but if the Hawkeyes' season-opener Saturday was any indication, the senior running back could be in for a career year in 2026.

Moulton needed only 11 carries to pile up a career-high 183 rushing yards and 2 TDs in Iowa's 40-0 win over Northern Illinois.

It was only Moulton's second career 100-yard rushing game, with his previous high of 114 coming in 2024 vs. Maryland.

T3. Memphis RB Jaylin Carter (183)

Sophomore Jaylin Carter is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Memphis, following up his strong season debut in Week 0 with an even better performance Saturday.

Carter rushed for 183 yards and 4 touchdowns on 19 carries, averaging 9.6 yards per attempt, while adding an 18-yard reception in the Tigers' 42-24 win over Arkansas State.

Memphis was in a tight game, leading 28-24, when Carter extended the lead with touchdown runs of 74 yards late in the third quarter and 24 yards late in the fourth quarter.

With the benefit of having already played two games, Carter leads the FBS with 280 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. He transferred in from Southern Miss this year, following his head coach Charles Huff to Memphis.

5. Florida RB Jadan Baugh (160)

Jadan Baugh is one of the top returning running backs in college football, and he showed why Saturday.

The junior rushed for 160 yards and 3 TDs on just 14 carries, averaging an elite 11.4 yards per attempt with a long run of 61 yards in the Gators' 66-21 win over FAU.

That was Baugh's second-highest rushing total. He established himself last season with 1,170 rushing yards and 8 TDs (plus 210 yards and 2 TDs receiving) and could blow past that number in 2026.

Temple running back Keveun Mason rushed for 158 yards in his 2026 season debut.
Temple running back Keveun Mason, pictured last season, rushed for 158 yards in his 2026 season debut. Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

6. Temple RB Keveun Mason (158)

Sophomore Keveun Mason nearly matched his entire 2025 rushing total in one game Saturday, carrying the ball 20 times for 158 yards and 2 TDs (plus 34 receiving yards) in Temple's 38-14 win over Rhode Island.

Mason had just 28 carries for 167 yards and 1 TD as a freshman.

7. Nevada RB Dominic Kelley (152)

Dominic Kelley bided his time in the background as a freshman for Nevada last season, and his time has now come.

The sophomore led the Wolf Pack with 152 yards and 2 TDs on 11 carries in a 49-14 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday.

That included a 72-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage.

8. UNLV RB Jai'Den Thomas (143)

After rushing for 918 yards and 7 TDs as a sophomore and then 1,036 yards and 12 TDs as a junior, Jai'Den Thomas is one of the most reliable running backs in the Mountain West, and he's off to another strong start in 2026.

Thomas rushed for 143 yards and a TD on 20 carries Saturday in UNLV's 21-6 win at Hawaii.

9. West Virginia RB Cam Cook (142)

Cam Cook led all FBS running backs with 127.6 rushing yards per game last season at Jacksonville State, and he's looking to replicate that production now in the Big 12 at West Virginia.

So far, so good.

Cook shined in his Mountaineers debut, rushing 30 times for 142 yards and 2 TDs Saturday in a 31-24 win over Coastal Carolina. That included a 72-yard run on the first play of the game.

10. Charlotte RB Khamani Alexander (138)

Alexander, a sophomore transfer from Appalachian State, showed out in his Charlotte debut, rushing for 138 yards and a TD on 14 carries in a 43-41 triple-overtime loss to The Citadel on Saturday.

Alexander, who had just 12 carries for 50 yards as a freshman, topped that on his very first touch of the season with a 66-yard touchdown run up the gut on Charlotte's opening possession.

2026 College Football Overall Rushing Leaders

*Including Week 0 and Week 1 games

1. Memphis RB Jaylin Carter, 280 yards (2 games)

2. Florida State RB Ousmane Kromah, 231 yards (2 games)

3. Duke RB Nate Sheppard, 227 yards (1 game)

4. Navy QB Braxton Woodson, 200 yards (1 game)

5. UNLV RB Jai'Den Thomas, 187 yards (2 games)

6. Iowa RB Kamari Moulton, 183 yards (1 game)

7. New Mexico State RB James Jones, 165 yards (2 games)

8. Florida RB Jadan Baugh, 160 yards (1 game)

9. Temple RB Keveun Mason, 158 yards (1 game)

10. San Jose State RB Jabari Bates, 156 yards (2 games)

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Ryan Young
RYAN YOUNG

Ryan Young joins CFB HQ On SI after 15 years as a college football beat writer, including the last seven years in Los Angeles covering the USC Trojans for Rivals. He previously covered Florida and Coastal Carolina after four years at the Kansas City Star. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

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