Penn State all-time rushing leaders heading into 2025 season

Penn State’s all-time rushing yards leaderboard is set to be shaken up this year, as the 2025 Nittany Lions have two running backs who will be gunning for the No. 1 spot. 

Nicholas Singleton (10th) and Kaytron Allen (11th) are about 1,000 yards away from Evan Royster’s career mark of 3,932 yards. With Penn State playing as many as 16 games this season in the expanded playoff format, Singleton and Allen both have a great chance of making it to the top. 

Here are the top 15 leading rushers in Penn State history. 

1. Evan Royster 

Years: 2007-2010

Career rushing yards: 3,932

Penn State’s all-time leading rusher often goes under the radar, but he was a key piece during Joe Paterno’s final few seasons with the program. Evan Royster was consistent in his four-year career and had three 1,000-yard seasons from 2008-2010.

Royster was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played for three seasons, rushing for 416 yards and two touchdowns. 

2. Saquon Barkley

Years: 2015-2017

Career rushing yards: 3,843

Saquon Barkley needs no introduction for Penn State fans. He was a star from Day 1 at Penn State, scorching defense across three seasons and totaling a program-record 43 career rushing touchdowns. He finished fourth in Heisman voting in 2017. 

Barkley was drafted by the New York Giants No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. When healthy, he’s been one of the league’s best backs, and he’s coming off a 2,000-yard season and Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

3. Curt Warner

Years: 1979-1982

Career rushing yards: 3,398

Curt Warner set a program record with 18 career 100-yard games, and none were more important than his 177 yards in the 1982 Sugar Bowl against Georgia — Penn State’s first national championship. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Warner was selected No. 3 overall in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was a three-time Pro Bowler with Seattle and was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 1994. 

4. Tony Hunt

Years: 2003-2006

Career rushing yards: 3,320

Tony Hunt did most of his damage in his junior and senior years, where he ran for a combined 2,433 yards and 17 touchdowns. He helped Penn State win the 2006 Orange Bowl over Florida State.

Hunt was drafted in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Eagles. He’d only play for two seasons and was out of the league by 2009. 

5. Blair Thomas

Years: 1985-1989

Career rushing yards: 3,301

Blair Thomas contributed to Penn State’s 1986 championship team, but his breakout came the following season when he rushed for 1,414 yards and 11 touchdowns. He sat out the 1988 season with an injury and came back in 1989 with 1,341 yards rushing. 

Thomas was drafted No. 2 overall by the New York Jets in 1990. He never reached his potential in New York and finished his six-year career with 2,236 rushing yards. 

6. Curtis Enis

Years: 1995-1997

Career rushing yards: 3,256

Curtis Enis exploded in 1996 and 1997 with a total of 2,573 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns. He helped lead Penn State to a Fiesta Bowl victory over Texas in 1997 and placed fifth in Heisman voting the following year.

Enis was drafted fifth overall by the Chicago Bears in the 1998 NFL Draft, but injuries limited his pro career to only three seasons. 

7. D.J. Dozier

Years: 1983-1986

Career rushing yards: 3,227 

Unlike the other players on this list, D.J. Dozier’s best rushing season was actually in his freshman year, when he had 1,002 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He’ll live on in Penn State lore after his game-winning touchdown in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl against Miami, which gave the Nittany Lions their second national title. 

Dozier was drafted 14th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1987 NFL Draft. He never panned out in the pros, and he later played in the MLB with the New York Mets in 1992.

8. Larry Johnson

Years: 1999-2002

Career rushing yards: 2,953

Larry Johnson had arguably the best single season of any Penn State running back in 2002, when he ran for a program-record 2,087 yards and 20 touchdowns and finished third in Heisman voting. He also set the single-game rushing record with 327 yards against Indiana. 

He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played in the league for nine seasons and eclipsed 2,000 yards from scrimmage in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. 

9. Lydell Mitchell

Years: 1969-1971

Career rushing yards: 2,934 

The oldest player on this list, Lydell Mitchell lives on in Penn State’s record books with his program-record 26 rushing touchdowns in 1971, which was also an NCAA record at the time. He was inducted into the CFB Hall of Fame in 2004. 

Mitchell was drafted in the second round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts and had a productive career as a runner and receiver. He finished his career with 9,737 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns.

10. Nicholas Singleton

Years: 2022–

Career rushing yards: 2,912

Nicholas Singleton was a star since he stepped on campus with 1,061 yards rushing and a program-record 12 touchdowns as a freshman. He hasn’t slowed down from there, and he needs only 1,020 yards this season to break Royster’s record. 

11. Kaytron Allen

Years: 2022–

Career rushing yards: 2,877

Kaytron Allen has actually outrushed Singleton in each of the last two seasons, making for a fun race to see who takes the career rushing record by the end of the season. Allen needs 1,055 yards to take the top spot. 

12. Ki-Jana Carter

Years: 1992-1994

Career rushing yards: 2,829

Ki-Jana Carter’s 1994 season is one of the best in program history and led to him finishing as the Heisman runner-up. He had 1,539 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns, helping Penn State finish the season with a perfect 12-0 record.

Carter was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1995 NFL Draft, but injuries prevented him from being a star at the next level.

13. Matt Suhey

Years: 1976-1979

Career rushing yards: 2,818 

Matt Suhey was reliable across his four seasons at Penn State and helped the Nittany Lions win the 1977 Fiesta Bowl over Arizona State. Suhey was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a 10-year pro career as the Bears’ fullback, including a Super Bowl title in 1985. 

14. John Cappelletti

Years: 1972-1973

Career rushing yards: 2,639

To this day, John Cappelletti is the only Nittany Lion to win the Heisman. He had to sit behind Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell for his first two years — if he started earlier, he very well could be the team’s all-time leading rusher. He was inducted into the CFB Hall of Fame in 1993. 

Cappelletti was drafted 11th overall in the 1974 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He was primarily a fullback at the next level, spending five seasons in L.A. and four more with the San Diego Chargers.

15. Eric McCoo

Years: 1998-2001

Career rushing yards: 2,518

The last runner on this list is Eric McCoo, who was Penn State’s lead back for his first three seasons, which included wins in the Outback Bowl and Alamo Bowl. McCoo was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2004, where he won an NFC Championship before losing in the Super Bowl that year.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: All-time Penn State leading rushers in Nittany Lions history