In this era of wide-open college football offenses, it is still important for teams to establish the running game—and North Carolina’s top rushers did just that in 2024.
The table below highlights the top rushing performances of the recently completed college football season in the Old North State, all divisions. These leaders represent the best of the state, with standout efforts from both household names and under-the-radar stars.
Leading the way is North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, whose 1,660 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns solidified his status as one of the top running backs in the country. The Clayton product (Cleveland HS) should hear his name early when the NFL Draft rolls around in April.
Joining Hampton in the 1,000-yard club are six other dynamic runners, including Anthony Byrd of North Carolina Wesleyan, who led Division III with an impressive 149 rushing yards per game, and LJ Turner of Catawba, whose 7.0 yards per carry is the best among all state performers.
North Carolina Central’s J’Mari Taylor and Davidson’s Mari Adams tied with Hampton for most touchdowns over the season, with 15 each.
This table of 40+ rushers tells the story of a season defined by grit, speed, and consistency, with every entry representing a critical piece of their team’s success. Whether it’s the star power of Hampton or the dependable talent of players like Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest) — who has announced a return to the Deacs for 2025 — the depth of rushing talent across the state is undeniable.
READ MORE: Rushing Kings of 2024 – Recapping Every 100-Yard Performance From The Season
2024 NC College Football | Rushing Leaders
Table is sortable. Minimum 400 yards rushing
| YARDS | PLAYER (SCHOOL) | DIV | CLASS | GAMES | ATT | TD | PER GAME | PER ATT. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1660 | Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) | FBS | Jr. | 12 | 281 | 15 | 138.3 | 5.9 |
| 1341 | Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan) | D3 | Sr. | 9 | 203 | 10 | 149.0 | 6.6 |
| 1231 | Mari Adams (Davidson) | FCS | Jr. | 11 | 187 | 15 | 111.9 | 6.6 |
| 1224 | LJ Turner (Catawba) | D2 | Jr. | 8 | 174 | 13 | 153.0 | 7.0 |
| 1166 | Rahjai Harris (East Carolina) | FBS | Sr. | 13 | 206 | 11 | 89.7 | 5.7 |
| 1146 | J'Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central) | FCS | Jr. | 11 | 196 | 15 | 104.2 | 5.8 |
| 1049 | Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest) | FBS | Jr. | 12 | 228 | 11 | 87.4 | 4.6 |
| 945 | Chancellor Lee-Parker (Brevard) | D3 | Sr. | 9 | 145 | 10 | 105.0 | 6.5 |
| 923 | Mason Sheron (Davidson) | FCS | Jr. | 11 | 160 | 10 | 83.9 | 5.8 |
| 871 | Star Thomas (Duke) | FBS | Sr. | 12 | 213 | 7 | 72.6 | 4.1 |
| 859 | Rushawn Baker (Elon) | FCS | Sr. | 12 | 183 | 9 | 71.6 | 4.7 |
| 812 | Travon Tensley (Shaw) | D2 | So. | 10 | 160 | 4 | 81.2 | 5.1 |
| 749 | Branson Adams (Western Carolina) | FCS | Jr. | 12 | 134 | 4 | 62.4 | 5.6 |
| 741 | Trevon Hester (Winston-Salem State) | D2 | Jr. | 9 | 145 | 5 | 82.3 | 5.1 |
| 714 | Sincere Baines (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | So. | 11 | 121 | 8 | 64.9 | 5.9 |
| 713 | Ahmani Marshall (Appalachian State) | FBS | Sr. | 11 | 149 | 7 | 64.8 | 4.8 |
| 702 | Edward Saydee (Gardner-Webb) | FCS | Sr. | 12 | 162 | 5 | 58.5 | 4.3 |
| 675 | Mohamed Nyanamukenga (Livingstone) | D2 | Jr. | 10 | 157 | 3 | 67.5 | 4.3 |
| 619 | O'Brien Barnett (Wingate) | D2 | Sr. | 11 | 111 | 6 | 56.3 | 5.6 |
| 588 | TJ Thomas Jr. (Elon) | FCS | Fr. | 8 | 89 | 5 | 73.5 | 6.6 |
| 571 | Hollywood Smothers (NC State) | FBS | So. | 11 | 89 | 6 | 51.9 | 6.4 |
| 559 | Hahsaun Wilson (Charlotte) | FBS | Jr. | 12 | 91 | 7 | 46.6 | 6.1 |
| 550 | Jadien Deaton (Brevard) | D3 | Sr. | 9 | 88 | 2 | 61.1 | 6.3 |
| 538 | Jon Gullette (Mars Hill) | D2 | So. | 9 | 131 | 6 | 59.8 | 4.1 |
| 536 | Jackson Parris (Barton) | D2 | Fr. | 11 | 127 | 9 | 48.7 | 4.2 |
| 534 | Tareek Smith (Greensboro) | D3 | So. | 9 | 144 | 4 | 59.3 | 3.7 |
| 533 | Zechariah Adams-Duckson (ECSU) | D2 | Sr. | 10 | 115 | 4 | 53.3 | 4.6 |
| 525 | Cartevious Norton (Charlotte) | FBS | Jr. | 12 | 129 | 7 | 43.8 | 4.1 |
| 516 | Malik Woodard (Guilford) | D3 | So. | 10 | 133 | 4 | 51.6 | 3.9 |
| 505 | Mike Chandler II (Campbell) | FCS | Sr. | 12 | 90 | 3 | 42.1 | 5.6 |
| 470 | Jordan Waters (NC State) | FBS | Sr. | 12 | 95 | 4 | 39.2 | 4.9 |
| 465 | Corey Siemer (Wingate) | D2 | Sr. | 10 | 96 | 4 | 46.5 | 4.8 |
| 463 | Marquece Williams (Catawba) | D2 | Jr. | 9 | 100 | 7 | 51.4 | 4.6 |
| 455 | Kamarro Edmonds (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | Jr. | 8 | 86 | 3 | 56.9 | 5.3 |
| 439 | Quavaris Crouch (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | Sr. | 8 | 107 | 8 | 54.9 | 4.1 |
| 432 | Shimique Blizzard (North Carolina A&T) | FCS | So. | 12 | 104 | 3 | 36.0 | 4.2 |
| 430 | JaQuan Kelly (UNC Pembroke) | D2 | Jr. | 9 | 72 | 5 | 47.8 | 6.0 |
| 418 | Evan Sullivan (Guilford) | D3 | So. | 10 | 98 | 0 | 41.8 | 4.3 |
| 412 | Sajari Love (Methodist) | D3 | So. | 10 | 120 | 3 | 41.2 | 3.4 |
| 406 | Mark Biggins (Campbell) | FCS | Sr. | 9 | 88 | 3 | 45.1 | 4.6 |
| 406 | Avante George (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | Jr. | 10 | 99 | 2 | 40.6 | 4.1 |
More ‘Stat Champions’ Content
- All-North Carolina Stat Leaders: UNC’s Omarion Hampton Leads Rushing Elite
- D2 Stat Champions: Lenoir-Rhyne, Wingate, UNC Pembroke kickers stayed busy in 2024
- D3 Stat Champions: Brevard’s Hugo Taylor tallies most kicker points in 2024
- FCS Stat Champions: Gardner-Webb’s Jay Billingsley scored most points, hit longest FG
- Fabulous 15: UNC Pembroke Headlines NC’s Highest Scoring Games of 2024
