Earl Bennett 's 236 career receptions were a record until Jordan Matthews broke it 6 years later.
The Vanderbilt Commodores football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Vanderbilt Commodores football program in various categories,[ 1] [ 2] including passing , rushing , receiving , total offense , defensive stats, and kicking . Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, Single season and career leaders. The Commodores represent Vanderbilt University in the NCAA Division I FBS Southeastern Conference .
Although Vanderbilt began competing in intercollegiate football in 1890, the school's official record book considers[ 1] the "modern era" to have begun in 1946. Records from before this year are often incomplete and inconsistent, and they are generally not included in these lists.
These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
Since 1950, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.
The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
Since 2018 , players have been allowed to participate in as many as four games in a redshirt season; previously, playing in even one game "burned" the redshirt.[ 3] Since 2024 , postseason games have not counted against the four-game limit.[ 4] These changes to redshirt rules have given very recent players several extra games to accumulate statistics.
Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[ 5] The Commodores have played in eight bowl games since then.
Due to COVID-19 issues, the NCAA ruled that the 2020 season would not count against the athletic eligibility of any football player, giving everyone who played in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.[ 6]
The 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 seasons, all played under head coach James Franklin , were at the time the three highest-scoring Commodore seasons of the modern era, and three of the four seasons with the most offensive yards.[ 1] The 2025 team , under head coach Clark Lea , set a new record for total points even before the end of the regular season and ended with the highest per-game average.[ 7] [ 8]
The statistics below are updated through the end of the 2025 season.
Passing
Passing yards
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Kyle Shurmur
8,865
2015 2016 2017 2018
2
Jay Cutler
8,697
2002 2003 2004 2005
3
Greg Zolman
7,981
1998 1999 2000 2001
4
Whit Taylor
6,307
1979 1980 1981 1982
5
Kurt Page
6,233
1981 1982 1983 1984
6
Diego Pavia
5,832[ 9]
2024 2025
7
Eric Jones
5,029
1986 1987 1988
8
Ken Seals
4,292
2020 2021 2023
9
Jordan Rodgers
4,063
2011 2012
10
Damian Allen
3,704
1994 1995 1996 1997
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Diego Pavia
3,539[ 9]
2025
2
Kurt Page
3,178
1983
3
Kyle Shurmur
3,130
2018
4
Jay Cutler
3,073
2005
5
Kyle Shurmur
2,823
2017
6
Eric Jones
2,548
1988
7
Jordan Rodgers
2,539
2012
8
Greg Zolman
2,512
2001
9
Whit Taylor
2,481
1982
10
Greg Zolman
2,441
2000
Passing touchdowns
Rushing
Rushing yards
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Ralph Webb
4,173
2014 2015 2016 2017
2
Zac Stacy
3,143
2009 2010 2011 2012
3
Frank Mordica
2,632
1976 1977 1978 1979
4
Carl Woods
2,490
1983 1984 1985 1986
5
Ke'Shawn Vaughn
2,272
2018 2019
6
Jamie O’Rourke
2,202
1971 1973 1974
7
Jermaine Johnson
2,152
1993 1994 1995
8
Jared McGrath
2,151
1997 1998 1999 2000
9
Lonnie Sadler
2,096
1972 1973 1974 1975
10
Rodney Williams
2,021
1998 1999 2000 2001
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Ralph Webb
1,384
2016
2
Ke'Shawn Vaughn
1,244
2018
3
Zac Stacy
1,193
2011
4
Ralph Webb
1,152
2015
5
Zac Stacy
1,141
2012
6
Corey Harris
1,103
1991
7
Jermaine Johnson
1,072
1995
8
Frank Mordica
1,065
1978
9
Ray Davis
1,042
2022
10
Ke'Shawn Vaughn
1,028
2019
Single game
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
Opponent
1
Frank Mordica
321
1978
Air Force
2
Ke'Shawn Vaughn
243
2018
Baylor
3
Doug Mathews
214
1969
Tulane
4
Ralph Webb
198
2016
Middle Tennessee
5
Zac Stacy
198
2011
Army
6
Jamie O’Rourke
187
1971
Tulane
Frank Mordica
187
1979
Citadel
8
Zac Stacy
184
2011
Wake Forest
9
Corey Harris
180
1991
Army
Zac Stacy
180
2012
Wake Forest
Rushing touchdowns
Single game[ 15]
Rank
Player
TDs
Year
Opponent
1
Frank Mordica
5
1978
Air Force
Receiving
Receptions
Receiving yards
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Jordan Matthews
3,759
2010 2011 2012 2013
2
Boo Mitchell
2,964
1985 1986 1987 1988
3
Dan Stricker
2,880
1999 2000 2001 2002
4
Earl Bennett
2,852
2005 2006 2007
5
Kalija Lipscomb
2,356
2016 2017 2018 2019
6
Martin Cox
2,275
1975 1976 1977 1978
7
Chuck Scott
2,219
1981 1982 1983 1984
8
Will Sheppard
2,067
2020 2021 2022 2023
9
Clarence Sevillian
1,978
1989 1990 1991 1992
10
Trent Sherfield
1,869
2014 2015 2016 2017
Receiving touchdowns
Total offense
Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[ 16]
Total offense yards
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Jay Cutler
9,953
2002 2003 2004 2005
2
Kyle Shurmur
8,539
2015 2016 2017 2018
3
Greg Zolman
7,707
1998 1999 2000 2001
4
Diego Pavia
7,494 [ 9]
2024 2025
5
Whit Taylor
6,727
1979 1980 1981 1982
6
Eric Jones
6,240
1986 1987 1988
7
Kurt Page
6,008
1981 1982 1983 1984
8
Chris Nickson
4,869
2005 2006 2007 2008
9
Jordan Rodgers
4,554
2011 2012
10
Ken Seals
4,231
2020 2021 2023
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Diego Pavia
4,401 [ 9]
2025
2
Jay Cutler
3,288
2005
3
Diego Pavia
3,093
2024
4
Kyle Shurmur
3,050
2018
5
Kurt Page
3,034
1983
6
Eric Jones
2,853
1988
7
Chris Nickson
2,779
2006
8
Kyle Shurmur
2,739
2017
9
Whit Taylor
2,679
1982
10
Jay Cutler
2,646
2003
Touchdowns responsible for
"Touchdowns responsible for" is the NCAA's official designation for combined passing and rushing touchdowns.
Defense
Interceptions
Single game
Rank
Player
Ints
Year
Opponent
1
Scott Wingfield
3
1973
Virginia
John Chandler
3
1979
Memphis
Leonard Coleman
3
1980
Chattanooga
Chris Donnelly
3
1989
Memphis
Ryan Hamilton
3
2008
Ole Miss
Tackles
Career[ 15]
Rank
Player
Tackles
Years
1
Andrew Coleman
458
1978 1979 1980 1981
Single season[ 15]
Rank
Player
Tackles
Year
1
Chris Gaines
214
1987
Single game[ 15]
Rank
Player
Tackles
Year
Opponent
1
Chris Gaines
37
1987
Tulane
Sacks
Career[ 15]
Rank
Player
Sacks
Years
1
Alan Young
21.5
1990 1991 1992 1993
Single season[ 15]
Rank
Player
Sacks
Year
1
Alan Young
12.0
1993
Kicking
Field goals made
Single game[ 15]
Rank
Player
FGs
Year
Opponent
1
Hawkins Golden
4
1973
Georgia
John Markham
4
2000
Duke
Field goal percentage
References
^ a b c "2014 Vanderbilt Football Media Guide" (PDF) . VUCommodores.com . Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014 .
^ "Vanderbilt Football Records: Individual Records" . 2025 Vanderbilt Football Yearbook . Learfield Digital Communications. August 20, 2025. pp. 48– 53. Retrieved October 18, 2025 .
^ "DI football to offer more participation opportunities" (Press release). NCAA. June 13, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018 .
^ "DI football oversight committees propose one transfer window" (Press release). NCAA. August 27, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024 .
^ "NCAA changes policy on football stats" . ESPN.com . AP. August 28, 2002. Retrieved September 11, 2014 .
^ Cobb, David (August 21, 2020). "NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility" . CBSSports.com . Retrieved November 27, 2021 .
^ "Season-by-Season Offensive Statistics" (PDF) . 2025 Vanderbilt Football Fact Book . Vanderbilt Commodores. July 11, 2025. pp. 25– 26. Retrieved November 23, 2025 . (seasons before 2025)
^ "Vanderbilt Commodores Team Stats 2025" . ESPN.com . Retrieved February 11, 2026 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j "Diego Pavia" . ESPN.com . Retrieved December 31, 2025 .
^ a b c d "Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Box Score" . ESPN.com . November 22, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025 .
^ a b Hall of Fame Bowl
^ "Box Score: Auburn at Vanderbilt" . ESPN.com . November 8, 2025. Retrieved November 8, 2025 .
^ a b "Utah State vs. Vanderbilt Box Score" . ESPN.com . September 27, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2025 .
^ a b "Sedrick Alexander: Stats" . ESPN.com . Retrieved November 29, 2025 .
^ a b c d e f g h i The 2014 Vanderbilt Football Media Guide lists only a leader for this statistic, rather than a top 10.
^ "Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Record Book" (PDF) . National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2008 .
^ The 2014 Vanderbilt Media Guide only listed a single leader, and the 2025 Vanderbilt Football Yearbook does not list any leaders for this statistic. The record from 2014 was broken in 2025.
^ "Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt Box Score" . ESPN.com . December 27, 2024.
^ a b c d e "Brock Taylor" . ESPN.com . Retrieved December 31, 2025 .
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