North Carolina college football’s 2024 season showcased an electrifying display of ground dominance, with 119 individual 100-yard rushing performances spanning across FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III.
The rushing leaderboard was headlined by LJ Turner’s jaw-dropping 329-yard performance for Catawba in an overtime thriller against Anderson, while standout names like Omarion Hampton (UNC) and Anthony Byrd (North Carolina Wesleyan) consistently delivered week after week. East Carolina’s Rahjai Harris set an American Athletic Conference record by notching 220 yards in a Military Bowl win over rival NC State.
The state’s rushers not only piled up the yardage but also led their teams to victory. An impressive 78.2 percent of these 100+ yard performances came in winning efforts. Whether it was game-breaking long runs or grinding out tough yards, 2024 proved to be a banner year for North Carolina’s running backs.
Before we turn the calendar to 2025, we’ll recap EVERY time a player hit the magical 100-yard mark in a game in 2024. We’ll start with the very exclusive 300-yard rushing club, which features just one member this year, and work our way down:
NC Rushing Leaders 2024 | Top Single-Game Performances
100-yard performances by division
- FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision): 26 performances
- FCS (Football Championship Subdivision): 33 performances
- D2 (Division II): 34 performances
- D3 (Division III): 26 performances
Most 100+ Yard Games:
- Omarion Hampton (North Carolina | FBS): 10
- Anthony Byrd (North Carolina Wesleyan | D3): 8
- Mari Adams (Davidson | FCS): 7
300-Yard Club
329 – LJ Turner (Catawba): 35 carries, 5 touchdowns, long run of 61 yards, 9.4 yards per carry, in Week 6 against Anderson (W, 44-41 OT)
READ MORE: Catawba’s LJ Turner Has Huge Day, Indians Beat Anderson In OT
200-Yard Club
- 244 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 35 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 38 yards, 7.0 yards per carry, in Week 12 against Wake Forest (W, 31-24)
- 220 – Rahjai Harris (East Carolina): 17 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 86 yards, 12.9 yards per carry, in the Military Bowl vs. NC State (W, 26-21)
- 218 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 32 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 46 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, in Week 9 at Southern Virginia (W, 34-31)
- 213 – LJ Turner (Catawba): 26 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 75 yards, 8.2 yards per carry, in Week 8 against Newberry (L, 21-27)
- 210 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 25 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 53 yards, 8.4 yards per carry, in Week 3 against North Carolina Central (W, 45-10)
- 208 – Chancellor Lee-Parker (Brevard): 28 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 38 yards, 7.4 yards per carry, in Week 12 at Kentucky Christian (W, 41-25)
- 207 – Mari Adams (Davidson): 19 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 40 yards, 10.9 yards per carry, in Week 3 against Point (W, 42-12)
- 206 – J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central): 24 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 61 yards, 8.6 yards per carry, in Week 12 against Howard (W, 26-3)
- 204 – Zayvion Turner-Knox (Lenoir-Rhyne): 30 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 30 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, in Week 2 against Bowie State (W, 32-19)
175-199 Yards
- 196 – J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central): 26 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 50 yards, 7.5 yards per carry, in Week 9 against Morgan State (W, 16-7)
- 192 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 21 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 37 yards, 9.1 yards per carry, in Week 2 at Averett (L, 29-41)
- 188 – LJ Turner (Catawba): 38 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 70 yards, 4.9 yards per carry, in Week 7 against Limestone (L, 33-36 OT)
- 185 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 22 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 75 yards, 8.4 yards per carry, in Week 14 against NC State (L, 30-35)
- 181 – Trevon Hester (Winston-Salem State): 19 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 70 yards, 9.5 yards per carry, in Week 7 against Shaw (W, 34-14)
- 180 – Jon Gullette (Mars Hill): 21 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 42 yards, 8.6 yards per carry, in Week 11 at Anderson (W, 31-16)
150-174 Yards
- 172 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 32 carries, 4 touchdowns, long run of 43 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, in Week 10 at Florida State (W, 35-11)
- 171 – Zechariah Adams-Duckson (Elizabeth City State): 27 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 34 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, in Week 11 at Bowie State (W, 27-21)
- 167 – Malik Woodard (Guilford): 19 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 37 yards, 8.8 yards per carry, in Week 4 against Sewanee (W, 44-35)
- 167 – Rushawn Baker (Elon): 22 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 24 yards, 7.6 yards per carry, in Week 11 at William & Mary (W, 40-36)
- 166 – Sincere Baines (UNC Pembroke): 15 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 52 yards, 11.1 yards per carry, in Week 10 against West Virginia Wesleyan (W, 79-20)
- 166 – Star Thomas (Duke): 30 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 19 yards, 5.5 yards per carry, in Week 5 against North Carolina (W, 21-20)
- 164 – Hahsaun Wilson (Charlotte): 15 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 65 yards, 10.9 yards per carry, in Week 6 against East Carolina (W, 55-24)
- 164 – Mari Adams (Davidson): 24 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 29 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, in Week 6 against Marist (W, 42-19)
- 163 – TJ Thomas Jr. (Elon): 11 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 74 yards, 14.8 yards per carry, in Week 2 at North Carolina Central (W, 41-19)
- 163 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 29 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 17 yards, 5.6 yards per carry, in Week 3 against Ferrum (L, 24-28)
- 161 – Quavaris Crouch (Johnson C. Smith): 21 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 75 yards, 7.7 yards per carry, in Week 1 against Tuskegee (W, 21-13)
- 161 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 26 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 41 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, in Week 11 against Brevard (W, 30-24)
- 156 – LJ Turner (Catawba): 25 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 36 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, in Week 9 at Wingate (L, 15-24)
- 156 – Quasean Holmes (Gardner-Webb): 26 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 20 yards, 6.0 yards per carry, in Week 8 against Lindenwood (W, 42-35)
- 156 – Rushawn Baker (Elon): 27 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 54 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, in Week 12 against Maine (W, 31-25)
- 154 – Rushawn Baker (Elon): 23 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 42 yards, 6.7 yards per carry, in Week 10 against Campbell (W, 50-27)
- 154 – Jackson Parrish (Barton): 34 carries, 4 touchdowns, long run of 25 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, in Week 11 at Limestone (L, 26-50)
- 152 – Jackson Parrish (Barton): 22 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 36 yards, 6.9 yards per carry, in Week 10 against Catawba (W, 49-35)
- 152 – Mason Sheron (Davidson): 22 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 44 yards, 6.9 yards per carry, in Week 7 at Dayton (L, 14-16)
- 150 – Quece Williams (Catawba): 20 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 35 yards, 7.5 yards per carry, in Week 12 against Tusculum (W, 47-15)
- 150 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 22 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 32 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, in Week 6 against Methodist (W, 19-17)
125-149 Yards
- 148 – Kanye Roberts (Appalachian State): 26 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 18 yards, 5.7 yards per carry, in Week 7 at Louisiana (L, 24-34)
- 146 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 16 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 41 yards, 9.1 yards per carry, in Week 4 against Huntingdon (L, 28-49)
- 141 – Trevon Hester (Winston-Salem State): 28 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 23 yards, 5.0 yards per carry, in Week 4 at Virginia State (W, 15-14)
- 140 – Xavier Pugh (Wingate): 4 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 75 yards, 35.0 yards per carry, in Week 9 against Catawba (W, 24-15)
- 140 – Tareek Smith (Greensboro): 28 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 15 yards, 5.0 yards per carry, in Week 10 against NC Wesleyan (L, 21-23)
- 139 – Hollywood Smothers (NC State): 15 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 44 yards, 9.3 yards per carry, in the Military Bowl vs. East Carolina (L, 21-26)
- 139 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 19 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 48 yards, 7.3 yards per carry, in Week 4 against James Madison (L, 50-70)
- 138 – TJ Thomas Jr. (Elon): 19 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 40 yards, 7.3 yards per carry, in Week 8 at Albany (W, 30-14)
- 138 – Mohamed Nyanamukenga (Livingstone): 24 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 26 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, in Week 3 against Allen (W, 23-21)
- 137 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 18 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 71 yards, 7.6 yards per carry, in Week 7 against Georgia Tech (L, 34-41)
- 137 – J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central): 19 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 66 yards, 7.2 yards per carry, in Week 4 against North Carolina A&T (W, 66-24)
- 137 – Tay Long (Barton): 22 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 28 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, in Week 3 at Chowan (W, 24-20)
- 136 – Maurice Smith (Chowan): 16 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 57 yards, 8.5 yards per carry, in Week 3 against Barton (L, 20-24)
- 136 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 23 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 25 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, in Week 10 at Greensboro (W, 23-21)
- 135 – Mari Adams (Davidson): 13 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 54 yards, 10.4 yards per carry, in Week 8 against Stetson (W, 52-20)
- 135 – Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest): 17 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 48 yards, 7.9 yards per carry, in Week 1 against North Carolina A&T (W, 45-13)
- 135 – Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest): 20 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 32 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, in Week 6 at NC State (W, 34-30)
- 134 – Carson Gresock (Gardner-Webb): 22 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 22 yards, 6.1 yards per carry, in Week 4 at Presbyterian (W, 42-21)
- 133 – Chancellor Lee-Parker (Brevard): 17 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 25 yards, 7.8 yards per carry, in Week 10 against Methodist (W, 44-21)
- 132 – Quasean Holmes (Gardner-Webb): 19 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 51 yards, 6.9 yards per carry, in Week 4 at Presbyterian (W, 42-21)
- 132 – Shimique Blizzard (North Carolina A&T): 20 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 34 yards, 6.6 yards per carry, in Week 10 against William & Mary (L, 7-45)
- 131 – Rahjai Harris (East Carolina): 26 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 63 yards, 5.0 yards per carry, in Week 2 at Old Dominion (W, 20-16)
- 130 – Rahjai Harris (East Carolina): 11 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 55 yards, 11.8 yards per carry, in Week 9 against Temple (W, 56-34)
- 129 – Mari Adams (Davidson): 23 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 55 yards, 5.6 yards per carry, in Week 11 against Morehead State (W, 31-14)
- 129 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 30 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 16 yards, 4.3 yards per carry, in Week 1 at Minnesota (W, 19-17)
- 128 – Mari Adams (Davidson): 15 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 75 yards, 8.5 yards per carry, in Week 2 against Catawba (W, 49-14)
- 128 – Mari Adams (Davidson): 16 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 63 yards, 8.0 yards per carry, in Week 5 against Presbyterian (W, 48-37)
- 128 – J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central): 24 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 21 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, in Week 1 vs. Alabama State (W, 31-24)
- 128 – Rahjai Harris (East Carolina): 24 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 39 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, in Week 13 at North Texas (W, 40-28)
- 127 – Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest): 23 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 19 yards, 5.5 yards per carry, in Week 9 at Stanford (W, 27-24)
- 127 – Ahmani Marshall (Appalachian State): 24 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 21 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, in Week 14 at Georgia Southern (L, 20-29)
- 126 – Travon Tensley (Shaw): 20 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 34 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, in Week 1 against Elizabeth City State (W, 17-13)
115-124 Yards
- 124 – Sincere Baines (UNC Pembroke): 6 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 61 yards, 20.7 yards per carry, in Week 9 against West Virginia State (W, 62-17)
- 124 – Ahmani Marshall (Appalachian State): 28 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 27 yards, 4.4 yards per carry, in Week 11 at Coastal Carolina (L, 24-38)
- 123 – Chancellor Lee-Parker (Brevard): 11 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 63 yards, 11.2 yards per carry, in Week 6 at Southern Virginia (W, 55-21)
- 123 – Travon Tensley (Shaw): 11 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 74 yards, 11.2 yards per carry, in Week 6 against Bluefield State (W, 35-17)
- 123 – Jordan Waters (NC State): 20 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 50 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, in Week 1 against Western Carolina (W, 38-21)
- 123 – Mason Sheron (Davidson): 27 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 27 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, in Week 11 against Morehead State (W, 31-14)
- 122 – Star Thomas (Duke): 22 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 22 yards, 5.5 yards per carry, in Week 3 against Connecticut (W, 26-21)
- 121 – Kenji Christian (North Carolina A&T): 16 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 22 yards, 7.6 yards per carry, in Week 1 at Wake Forest (L, 13-45)
- 121 – Mike Chandler II (Campbell): 17 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 45 yards, 7.1 yards per carry, in Week 11 against Richmond (W, 27-24)
- 120 – Ahmani Marshall (Appalachian State): 23 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 29 yards, 5.2 yards per carry, in Week 10 against Old Dominion (W, 28-20)
- 119 – Edward Saydee (Gardner-Webb): 16 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 23 yards, 7.4 yards per carry, in Week 8 against Lindenwood (W, 42-35)
- 118 – Evan Sullivan (Guilford): 19 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 26 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, in Week 4 against Sewanee (W, 44-35)
- 118 – Tareek Smith (Greensboro): 22 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 38 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, in Week 8 against Belhaven (L, 20-30)
- 117 – Julian Milligan (Fayetteville State): 12 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 34 yards, 9.8 yards per carry, in Week 4 against Elizabeth City State (W, 31-7)
- 116 – Beau DeBerry (Mars Hill): 7 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 27 yards, 16.6 yards per carry, in Week 9 at UVA Wise (W, 31-17)
- 116 – JaQuan Kelly (UNC Pembroke): 12 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 23 yards, 9.7 yards per carry, in Week 10 against West Virginia Wesleyan (W, 79-20)
- 116 – Avante George (Johnson C. Smith): 19 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 34 yards, 6.1 yards per carry, in Week 5 at Bluefield State (W, 42-6)
- 115 – Jordan Waters (NC State): 5 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 94 yards, 23.0 yards per carry, in Week 10 against Stanford (W, 59-28)
- 115 – Andrew Frazier (Davidson): 17 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 28 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, in Week 6 against Marist (W, 42-19)
- 115 – Travon Tensley (Shaw): 27 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 30 yards, 4.3 yards per carry, in Week 9 at Fayetteville State (W, 38-35)
100-114 Yards
- 114 – Rahjai Harris (East Carolina): 18 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 24 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, in Week 12 at Tulsa (W, 38-31)
- 113 – Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest): 23 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 18 yards, 4.9 yards per carry, in Week 11 against California (L, 36-46)
- 112 – Jadien Deaton (Brevard): 14 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 44 yards, 8.0 yards per carry, in Week 4 against Belhaven (W, 42-26)
- 112 – Edward Saydee (Gardner-Webb): 17 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 52 yards, 6.6 yards per carry, in Week 6 at UT Martin (L, 17-35)
- 112 – Sincere Baines (UNC Pembroke): 17 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 25 yards, 6.6 yards per carry, in Week 12 at Concord (W, 63-7)
- 111 – Star Thomas (Duke): 17 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 25 yards, 6.5 yards per carry, in Week 4 at Middle Tennessee (W, 45-17)
- 110 – LJ Turner (Catawba): 14 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 26 yards, 7.9 yards per carry, in Week 4 at UVA Wise (L, 28-31)
- 110 – Mason Sheron (Davidson): 15 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 45 yards, 7.3 yards per carry, in Week 13 at Valparaiso (L, 17-18)
- 109 – Jadien Deaton (Brevard): 10 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 70 yards, 10.9 yards per carry, in Week 7 against Greensboro (W, 42-9)
- 108 – Mason Sheron (Davidson): 10 carries, 3 touchdowns, long run of 79 yards, 10.8 yards per carry, in Week 2 against Catawba (W, 49-14)
- 108 – Ahmani Marshall (Appalachian State): 24 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 23 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, in Week 13 against James Madison (W, 34-20)
- 107 – O’Brien Barnett (Wingate): 12 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 41 yards, 8.9 yards per carry, in Week 6 at UVA Wise (W, 33-0)
- 106 – Chancellor Lee-Parker (Brevard): 7 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 78 yards, 15.1 yards per carry, in Week 8 against LaGrange (L, 21-26)
- 106 – Kevon Rivera (Catawba): 16 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 38 yards, 6.6 yards per carry, in Week 12 against Tusculum (W, 47-15)
- 106 – Travon Tensley (Shaw): 18 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 22 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, in Week 4 against Lincoln (PA) (W, 48-14)
- 106 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 23 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 20 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, in Week 6 against Pittsburgh (L, 24-34)
- 106 – Rushawn Baker (Elon): 23 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 18 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, in Week 13 at North Carolina A&T (W, 31-21)
- 106 – Wesley Graves (North Carolina A&T): 26 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 16 yards, 4.1 yards per carry, in Week 2 against Winston-Salem State (W, 27-20 OT)
- 105 – Davion Gause (North Carolina): 16 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 18 yards, 6.6 yards per carry, in Week 2 against Charlotte (W, 38-20)
- 105 – Mohamed Nyanamukenga (Livingstone): 23 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 16 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, in Week 6 against Elizabeth City State (W, 23-17)
- 105 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 26 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 12 yards, 4.0 yards per carry, in Week 9 at Virginia (W, 41-14)
- 104 – Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan): 19 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 22 yards, 5.5 yards per carry, in Week 12 at Maryville (L, 14-35)
- 103 – Mari Adams (Davidson): 18 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 24 yards, 5.7 yards per carry, in Week 9 against Butler (L, 38-48)
- 103 – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina): 29 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 20 yards, 3.6 yards per carry, in Week 5 at Duke (L, 20-21)
- 102 – Kamarr Edmonds (Johnson C. Smith): 11 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 56 yards, 9.3 yards per carry, in Week 9 at Winston-Salem State (W, 24-15)
- 102 – Jackson Parrish (Barton): 21 carries, 0 touchdowns, long run of 16 yards, 4.9 yards per carry, in Week 9 at Newberry (L, 25-41)
- 101 – Dakauri Davis (Barton): 14 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 45 yards, 7.2 yards per carry, in Week 10 against Catawba (W, 49-35)
- 101 – TJ Thomas Jr. (Elon): 14 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 60 yards, 7.2 yards per carry, in Week 3 against Western Carolina (L, 17-24)
- 101 – O’Brien Barnett (Wingate): 15 carries, 1 touchdown, long run of 21 yards, 6.7 yards per carry, in Week 8 at Limestone (W, 38-12)
- 100 – Hollywood Smothers (NC State): 16 carries, 2 touchdowns, long run of 52 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, in Week 10 against Stanford (W, 59-28)
