Who owns the most career receiving touchdowns in college football? How long did it take to accomplish? And will anyone reach new heights soon? We answer those questions and more as we take a tour through the annals of the CFB records to uncover the leaders in career receiving touchdowns.
CFB records: Career receiving touchdowns
While some of the names on this list will be unfamiliar to many, it does not take away from their all-time achievements. It could be a while until we see anyone even threaten the top 10 in career receiving touchdowns. Star players rarely stay longer than three or four years in college, limiting their ability to sniff the career record books. But you can never say never, as records are meant to be broken.
1) Jarett Dillard, Rice
Only one CFB player has ever recorded 20 touchdowns in two separate seasons. Only one CFB player has ever recorded 60 touchdowns over a career. He wasn’t a five-star recruit hailing from some high school football powerhouse. He wasn’t the biggest, fastest, or strongest receiver. No, Jarett Dillard was one of the smartest. And not just on the field, either.
While playing on the football, basketball, and track teams for Sam Houston High School, Dillard graduated as the valedictorian. Still, a two-star rating limited his options to play collegiate football.
In fact, Rice was the only D1 program to offer him a full scholarship. But Dillard didn’t mind. He was going to be playing the sport he loved and receiving an Ivy League education for free. And he rewarded the Owls’ investment in him with a record-setting career. After redshirting his first season and putting up modest statistics the next, Dillard exploded onto the scene in 2006. Catching 91 passes for 1,247 yards and 21 touchdowns, it’s easy to see why he was a Biletnikoff Award finalist.
But Dillard wasn’t a one-year wonder. On the contrary, he produced 79-1,057-14 and 87-1,310-20 receiving lines across his final two campaigns. Just seven years later, the Owls would cement Dillard’s legacy by enshrining him into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame.
2) Corey Davis, Western Michigan
Owner of the most career receiving yards in FBS history, Corey Davis is no stranger to the CFB records book. He set Western Michigan freshman highs with 67 receptions and 941 yards, adding six touchdowns to boot. The next three years? Davis generated 1,400+ yards and 12+ touchdowns, earning All-MAC first-team honors. He ended his WMU career as the lone player in FBS history with 300 catches, 5,000 yards, and 50+ TDs (52).
3) Troy Edwards, Louisiana Tech
Troy Edwards’ pro career didn’t live up to his 13th overall selection in the 1999 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t discredit his collegiate stardom. One glance at the CFB records showcases just how dominant he was. Here are his career accolades and awards:
- Fred Biletnikoff Award (1998)
- Paul Warfield Trophy (1998)
- Most receiving touchdowns in a single season (27 – 1998)
- Second-most receiving yards in a single season (1,996 – 1998)
- Most receiving yards in a single game (405 – 1998)
- Tied for the fifth-most receptions in a single season (140 – 1998)
- 10th-most career receiving yards (4,325)
And let’s not forget about his place on this very list, catching 50 career touchdowns. Even more impressive? Edwards played just three seasons before turning pro. He is the only pass catcher to do so among those in the top 10 of career receiving touchdowns and yards.
4) Darius Watts, Marshall
Question: What’s the first name that comes to mind when someone says “Marshall receiver?” Ding ding ding. Correct. The answer is almost always Randy Moss. Well, not this time.
Just three years after Moss left campus, there was another Marshall receiver primed to set CFB records. Even the most studious NFL fans likely don’t remember Darius Watts. After all, the former second-rounder only played three seasons in the league.
Yet, the Thundering Herd faithful should remember his name. Watts stepped off the bus and was quickly the team’s top deep threat, averaging 17.7 yards per reception. 91 receptions, 1,417 yards, and 18 touchdowns a season later had fans seeing flashbacks of No. 88 “Mossing” DBs downfield. Nevertheless, while Watt’s next two campaigns were nothing to scoff at (71-1,030-12 and 74-968-11), he would fall short of the lofty expectations set by his sophomore year.
Watts may not have been the second coming of Moss, but his career (272 receptions, 4,031 yards, and 47 TDs) proved worthy of an induction into the Marshall Atheltic Hall of Fame in 2014.
5) DeVonta Smith, Alabama
The most recent pass catcher to crack the top 10, DeVonta Smith was on an absolute tear to close out his Alabama tenure. Before he was the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Smith put on a clinic against every defense he faced.
A lot can happen across four years. As a freshman, Smith hauled in just eight receptions for 160 yards and three scores. But as a senior, he exploded for 117 catches, 1,856 yards (seventh all-time), and 23 TDs (fifth all-time). That monstrous finale accounted for nearly half of Smith’s four-year production: 235-3,965-46.
Smith continued where he left off last season, setting a new franchise rookie receiving yards record for the Philadelphia Eagles with 916.
Receivers ranked 6-10
6) Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
45 receiving touchdowns
T-7) Aaron Turner, PacificÂ
43 receiving touchdowns
T-7) Patrick Edwards, Houston
43 receiving touchdowns
T-9) Ryan Yarborough, Wyoming
42 receiving touchdowns
T-9) Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State
42 receiving touchdowns
