By SuperWest Sports Staff
The West has produced a multitude of great college kickoff returners.
The all-time lists of the best single-season national return leaders include some of the country’s best.
The tables below rank the top KO returners in the past 65+ seasons in single-season kickoff returns, kickoff return yards, yards per kickoff return, and kickoff return touchdowns.
Let’s get to the lists.
Best in West Single-Season Kickoff Returns Leaders
| Year | Player | School | Ret |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Isaiah Burse | Fresno State | 75 |
| 2013 | Victor Bolden | Oregon State | 58 |
| 2010 | Kerwynn Williams | Utah State | 53 |
| 1998 | Deonce Whitaker | San Jose State | 51 |
| 2009 | Deante Purvis | UNLV | 50 |
| 2008 | Josh Smith | Colorado | 50 |
| 2007 | Gerard Lawson | Oregon State | 49 |
| 1990 | Dwayne Owens | Oregon State | 41 |
| 2012 | Mike Edwards | Hawaii | 40 |
| 1989 | Sheldon Canley | San Jose State | 40 |
| 1987 | Monty Gilbreath | San Diego State | 40 |
Best in West Single-Season Kickoff Return Yards Leaders
| Year | Player | School | Ret |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Isaiah Burse | Fresno State | 1606 |
| 2010 | Kerwynn Williams | Utah State | 1444 |
| 2013 | Carlos Wiggins | New Mexico | 1303 |
| 2008 | Josh Smith | Colorado | 1276 |
| 2007 | Kevin Robinson | Utah State | 1260 |
| 2012 | Mike Edwards | Hawai’i | 1215 |
| 1998 | Deonce Whitaker | San Jose State | 1214 |
| 2009 | Chris Owusu | Stanford | 1167 |
| 2015 | Christian McCaffrey | Stanford | 1070 |
| 1990 | Dwayne Owens | Oregon State | 1014 |
| 1994 | David Dunn | Fresno State | 1013 |
| 2017 | Cameron Scarlett | Stanford | 1008 |
Best in West Single-Season Yards per Kickoff Return Leaders
| Year | Player | School | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | A.J. Jefferson | Fresno State | 35.8 |
| 2020 | D.J. Taylor | Arizona State | 34.9 |
| 2017 | Tyler Hall | Wyoming | 33.9 |
| 2018 | Savon Scarver | Utah State | 33.7 |
| 2005 | Jonathan Stewart | Oregon | 33.7 |
| 2001 | Chad Owens | Hawaii | 33.6 |
| 2015 | Rashaad Penny | San Diego State | 33.5 |
| 1998 | Patrick Dyson | Utah | 32.9 |
| 1985 | Rick Calhoun | Cal State Fullerton | 32.8 |
| 2014 | Trevor Davis | California | 32.6 |
| 1992 | Fred Montgomery | New Mexico State | 32.6 |
| 1982 | Tim Kearse | San Jose State | 32.6 |
| 2019 | Brandon Aiyuk | Arizona State | 31.9 |
| 2000 | Dexter Wynn | Colorado State | 31.8 |
| 1995 | Winslow Oliver | New Mexico | 31.7 |
| 2009 | Chris Owusu | Stanford | 31.5 |
| 2002 | Charles Pauley | San Jose State | 31.5 |
Best in West Single-Season Kickoff Return TDs Leaders
| Year | Player | School | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Reggie Dunn | Utah | 4 |
| 2018 | Jason Huntley | New Mexico State | 3 |
| 2015 | Rashaad Penny | San Diego State | 3 |
| 2013 | Carlos Wiggins | New Mexico | 3 |
| 2011 | Taveon Rogers | New Mexico State | 3 |
| 2009 | Chris Owusu | Stanford | 3 |
| 2007 | Kevin Robinson | Utah State | 3 |
| 2007 | Matt Slater | UCLA | 3 |
| 1989 | Terance Mathis | New Mexico | 3 |
| 2024 | Keelan Marion | Brigham Young | 2 |
| 2020 | Avery Williams | Boise State | 2 |
| 2019 | Savon Scarver | Utah State | 2 |
| 2019 | Mykael Wright | Oregon | 2 |
| 2017 | Tyler Hall | Wyoming | 2 |
| 2017 | Jason Huntley | New Mexico State | 2 |
| 2017 | Rashaad Penny | San Diego State | 2 |
| 2017 | Juwan Washington | San Diego State | 2 |
| 2016 | Adoree Jackson | USC | 2 |
| 2016 | Rashaad Penny | San Diego State | 2 |
| 2014 | Trevor Davis | California | 2 |
| 2014 | Adoree Jackson | USC | 2 |
| 2014 | John Ross | Washington | 2 |
| 2005 | Brandon Breazell | UCLA | 2 |
| 2005 | Tony Pennyman | Utah State | 2 |
| 2005 | T.J. Rushing | Stanford | 2 |
| 2005 | Jonathan Stewart | Oregon | 2 |
| 2003 | Maurice Drew | UCLA | 2 |
| 2002 | Charles Pauley | San Jose State | 2 |
| 2001 | Tony Lukins | New Mexico State | 2 |
| 2001 | Chad Owens | Hawaii | 2 |
| 1999 | Ben Kelly | Colorado | 2 |
| 1998 | Daniel Jones | Utah | 2 |
| 1998 | Dee Moronkola | Washington State | 2 |
| 1996 | Terry Battle | Arizona State | 2 |
| 1996 | R. Jay Soward | USC | 2 |
| 1985 | Rick Calhoun | Cal State Fullerton | 2 |
| 1985 | Erroll Tucker | Utah | 2 |
| 1983 | Fredd Young | New Mexico State | 2 |
