James Proche became the Mustangs' career leader in all major receiving categories in 2019.
The SMU Mustangs football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the SMU Mustangs football program in various categories,[1][2][3] including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, kicking, and scoring. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. As of the upcoming 2024 season, the Mustangs represent Southern Methodist University in the NCAADivision I FBS Atlantic Coast Conference.
Although SMU began competing in intercollegiate football in 1915,[3] the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in 1945. 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 1945, 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.
Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[4] The Mustangs have played in eight bowl games since this decision,[a] giving many recent players an extra game to accumulate statistics.
The American Athletic Conference, in which SMU played from 2013 to 2023, has held a championship game since 2015. SMU played in (and won) that game in 2023, giving players in that season yet another game to compile statistics. The Mustangs' new home of the ACC also holds a championship game, potentially giving future SMU teams an extra game.
Due to COVID-19 disruptions, the NCAA ruled that the 2020 season would not be counted against any football player's athletic eligibility, giving players active in that season five years of eligibility instead of the standard four.
In official NCAA records, "touchdowns responsible for" includes rushing and passing touchdowns, but not receptions or returns—the same statistical categories used to measure total offense.[13]
These lists include touchdowns scored by each individual player, thus including rushing, receiving, and return touchdowns but not passing touchdowns. SMU does not break down its lists of total touchdown leaders by type of play. It lists only the top 8 for career touchdowns and top 6 for single-season touchdowns.
