Lists of Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders The lists of Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders identify individual statistical leaders of the Michigan Wolverines football program in various offensive categories , including passing , rushing , and receptions . Within those areas , the lists identify single - game , single - season and career leaders in yardage , number ( receptions , rushes or passes ) , and touchdown s . The Michigan Wolverines football program is a college football team that represents the University of Michigan in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ' s Big Ten Conference . Passing leaders . Michigan ' s career leader in passing yardage is Chad Henne with 9 , 715 passing yards from 2004 to 2007 . Henne also holds the career records in completions ( 828 ) and touchdown passes ( 87 ) . John Navarre holds the records for passing yards in a single season ( 3 , 331 ) and single game ( 489 ) , both records having been set during the 2003 season . Tom Brady holds the school ' s record for most completions in a game , having completed 34 passes against Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl . Rushing leaders . Michigan ' s career leader in rushing yards is Mike Hart with 5 , 040 rushing yards from 2004 to 2007 . Hart also holds the career record with 1 , 050 carries . Tim Biakabutuka holds the single season record with 1 , 818 rushing yards during the 1995 season . Ron Johnson holds the single game record with 347 rushing yards in a game against Wisconsin during the 1967 season . Willie Heston , who played on Fielding H . Yost ' s " Point - a - Minute " teams from 1901 to 1904 , holds the career record for rushing touchdowns with 72 . Albert Herrnstein holds the records for most rushing touchdowns in a season ( 26 ) and in a single game ( 7 ) , having set those records for the 1902 team . Receiving leaders . Michigan receiving records are dominated by Braylon Edwards who played for Michigan from 2001 to 2004 . He holds the records for most receiving yards in a career ( 3 , 541 ) and season ( 1 , 330 in 2004 ) , the records for most receptions in a career ( 252 ) and season ( 97 in 2004 ) , and the record for most career touchdown reception ( 39 ) . Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard holds the single season record with 19 touchdown passes during the 1991 season . Michigan ' s single game receiving records are held by Roy Roundtree ( 246 receiving yards against Illinois in 2010 ) , Marquise Walker ( 15 receptions against Ohio State in 2001 ) , and Derrick Alexander ( four touchdown catches against Minnesota in 1992 ) . Historical caveats . Although Michigan began competing in intercollegiate football in 1879 , the school ' s official statistical database only tracks offensive statistics since 1949 . The tracking of defensive statistics dates back to an even shorter period of time and is not covered within the scope of this article . Because the official database commences in 1949 , many statistical achievements are overlooked in these lists . For example , Dick Rifenburg ' s career receiving statistics are not included in the official database despite the fact that his 16 career and eight single - season touchdowns were recognized as school records until 1980 . Where pre - 1949 records are available from reliable sources , they have been included below with yellow shading . Because there is no complete database of pre - 1949 records , such records are incomplete and may not be considered " official " records . With playing seasons extending progressively from relatively short four - games seasons in the 19th century to the current 12 - game regular seasons , conference championship games , and bowl games , and with players being eligible to play four years of college football starting in 1972 , the lists tend to be dominated by more recent players . Rushing . Touchdowns . Records for years prior to 1949 are not included in the University of Michigan ' s statistical records database . Where pre - 1949 records are available from reliable sources , they have been included below with yellow shading . Because there is no complete database of pre - 1949 records , such records are incomplete and may not be considered " official " records . Unless otherwise indicated , touchdown totals in this section are taken from the 2011 Michigan Football Record Book .