Jeremiah Smith, Colin Simmons among college football's active statistical leaders entering 2026 season
College football enters the 2026 season with a deep pool of returning statistical leaders across passing, rushing, receiving, and defense, despite widespread transfers. Many top performers have accumulated their stats across multiple schools, particularly moving from Group of Six to Power Four programs. Veterans like Jeremiah Smith and Colin Simmons headline position-specific leaderboards, showcasing continuity amid roster changes.
- ▪Josh Hoover leads active FBS quarterbacks with 9,629 career passing yards, all accumulated before transferring to Indiana.
- ▪Noah Fifita ranks first in career passing touchdowns with 73 and is nearing Arizona's all-time passing record.
- ▪Ahmad Hardy and Kewan Lacy, Doak Walker Award finalists, return as top rushers after leading the SEC in rushing last season.
- ▪Cam Cook, last season's FBS rushing leader with 1,659 yards, transferred to West Virginia for the 2026 season.
- ▪Five of the top nine passing leaders previously played at Group of Six schools before moving to Power Four programs.
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Jeremiah Smith, Colin Simmons among college football's active statistical leaders entering 2026 season College football enters 2026 with an unusually deep group of returning producers across every major statistical category By Cody Nagel May 16, 2026 at 10:49 am ET • 11 min read Getty Images Even though the transfer portal continues to reshape rosters across the country, it hasn't reset the sport's statistical leaders. Many of the players who rank among the national leaders in career production at the FBS level are now doing so in new uniforms, while others remain in place and continue building on multi-year résumés that stretch back several seasons.There are plenty of familiar names on these leaderboards, but also a few lesser-known players who have produced steadily at the Group of Six…
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