Here is the list of the top 10 career passing leaders in FBS college football history. Houston’s Case Keenum leads with 155 from 2007-11.
Oregon’s Dillion Gabriel is the active leader with 143 passing touchdowns through Week 9 of the 2024-25 season.
*Indicates the active total
College football career touchdown leaders:
1. Case Keenum, Houston (2007-2011) — 155 touchdowns in 57 games
Keenum has been the king of college quarterback statistics since leaving Houston in 2011. The 12-year NFL veteran holds the records for career passing touchdowns (155) and passing yards (19,217). He had three seasons with over 5,000 yards and 44 or more touchdown passes.
In his senior season, he finished with 5,631 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He led all of FBS in passing yards and touchdowns in two of his four full seasons.
2. Dillon Gabriel, UCF (2019-2021); Oklahoma (2022-2023); Oregon (2024) — 143 touchdowns in 58 games*
Gabriel, who leads the Oregon Ducks’ No. 1 team in his first year in Eugene, is just 12 touchdowns behind Keenum through Week 9 of the 2024-25 college football season. He also ranks second in all-time passing yards, but is about 2,000 yards behind Keenum — he likely won’t catch the Houston legend before the end of the season.
However, the former UCF and Oklahoma quarterback has a real shot at breaking Keenum’s decade-long rushing touchdown record. With four regular season games to play for the Ducks and probably two to four more with a conference championship and playoff games, Gabriel should have Keenum’s 155 in his sights.
Gabriel didn’t light up the stats the way Keenum did, but his consistency gave him a long and productive college career. His best season on paper came in 2020 with UCF, where he passed for 3,570 yards and 32 touchdowns in 10 games. He has four 3,000+ passing seasons to his name and will likely add another one before this season is over.
3. Kellen Moore, Boise State (2008-2011) — 142 touchdowns in 53 games
Moore played at the same time as Keenum, both lighting up the box score each week. Moore finished seventh in Heisman voting in 2009 – one spot ahead of Keenum. Then in 2011, Moore finished eighth in the voting, just behind Keenum at No. 7.
Moore may not hold the passing touchdown record, but he is the winningest quarterback in FBS history, posting a 50-3 record in four years as a Bronco. His best season came in 2011, when he passed for 3,800 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading Boise State to a 12-1 record.
Q4. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech (2005-08) — 134 touchdowns in 45 games
The Red Raiders legend held the career touchdown record after his college career ended in 2008. Although it was short-lived, with Keenum and Moore surpassing him a few years later, Harrell still ranks in the top five of all the times.
Harrell played just three full seasons for the Red Raiders, appearing in just six games and attempting a total of 55 passes his freshman year. From 2006 to 2008, he passed for 131 touchdowns – an average of 3.3 touchdowns per game during that span.
In 2007, Harrell passed for 5,705 yards and 48 touchdowns, leading the FBS in both categories, and in 2008 he finished fourth in the Heisman voting – tied for the highest mark in Texas Tech history.
Q4. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-2022); Notre Dame (2023) — 134 touchdowns in 60 games
Hartman spent his first five years of college football with Wake Forest, leading the ACC in passing touchdowns in his final year with the Demon Deacons in 2022 (38). Hartman did not eclipse 10 games played in his first three years in Winston-Salem.
For his sixth and final season, Hartman transferred to Notre Dame, leading the Irish to a 10-3 record and adding 24 more touchdowns to his name. His best season came in 2021 with the Deacons, where he passed for 4,228 yards and 39 touchdowns.
T6. Colt Brennan, Hawaii (2005-07) — 131 touchdowns in 38 games
Brennan played only three seasons of college football, but put up video game numbers in the 2006 season. The Rainbow Warrior passed for 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns, setting the FBS single-season passing touchdown record. He threw five or more touchdowns in eight of his 14 games in 2006.
Brennan’s single-season record was later taken by Joe Burrow in 2019 (60), but he still holds the record for the highest career completion percentage in FBS history (70.4).
T6. Baker Mayfield, Texas Tech (2013); Oklahoma (2015-17) — 131 touchdowns in 48 games
Mayfield, one of two Heisman Trophy winners on this list, began his college football career with Texas Tech. After his freshman season, he transferred to Oklahoma as a walk-on, but due to transfer rules at the time, he had to sit out the entire 2014 season.
But he proved it was worth the wait, finishing in the top four in Heisman voting all three seasons under center for the Sooners. He took home the trophy in 2017, becoming the first and only player to ever win the Heisman.
That 2017-2018 season, Mayfield led Oklahoma to the 2018 College Football Playoff semifinals against Georgia in a double-overtime classic. He passed for two touchdowns in that Rose Bowl, tying Brennan and Rakeem Cato for sixth all-time.
EXCEPTIONS: 17 of the best rushes in college football history
T6. Rakeem Cato, Marshall (2011-2014) — 131 touchdowns in 53 games
Cato, a Marshall legend, had 131 touchdowns and 14,079 yards in four seasons with the Thundering Herd.
He threw for 37 or more touchdowns in each of the last three seasons and led the FBS in passing yards per game in 2012. Cato guided Marshall to a program-record 13 wins in 2014, leading the Thundering Herd to the top 25 AP for the first time since 2002.
9. Landry Jones, Oklahoma (2009-2012) — 123 touchdowns in 53 games
Jones took over for Oklahoma legend Sam Bradford as a freshman after Bradford was selected No. 1 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He passed for more than 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns in his senior season. freshman, giving Sooner fans a glimpse of what was to come over the next three seasons.
Jones tallied three consecutive 4,000-yard seasons, connecting for a career-high 38 touchdowns in 2010. That 2010 season, he led the Big 12 in rushing yards and touchdowns as the Sooners defeated Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship .
T10. Ty Detmer, BYU (1988-1991) — 121 touchdowns in 48 games
Detmer is the only quarterback on this list to play in the 2000s, solidifying his greatness in an era dominated by the run game. He was a true gunslinger for the Cougars, passing for more than 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in three of his four seasons.
During his 1990 Heisman-winning season, Detmer threw for 5,188 yards, 41 touchdowns and an FBS-leading 28 interceptions. He is the first and only Heisman Trophy winner for BYU.
T10. Aaron Murray, Georgia (2010-2013) — 121 touchdowns in 52 games
Murray played four full seasons for Georgia, setting the all-time SEC record for passing yards and touchdowns. He passed for over 3,000 yards in all four seasons, setting a career high of 3,893 yards in 2012.
Murray has thrown for more than 35 touchdowns in two of his four seasons and led all of FBS in yards per completion in 2012 (15.6).
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