2026 National Leaders Punt Returns - Games vs. Unranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 09/19/2026

Name G Ret. Yards Avg. TD Ret./G Yards/G
1 Illinois 3 2 79 39.50 0 0.7 26.3
2 Oklahoma 2 3 113 37.67 1 1.5 56.5
3 Massachusetts 3 4 148 37.00 1 1.3 49.3
4 Arizona 2 2 69 34.50 1 1.0 34.5
5 Minnesota 2 9 273 30.33 2 4.5 136.5
6 Florida 3 6 173 28.83 2 2.0 57.7
7 Missouri 3 4 102 25.50 1 1.3 34.0
8 Wisconsin 2 2 48 24.00 1 1.0 24.0
9 South Carolina 2 7 161 23.00 2 3.5 80.5
9 Boise State 2 3 69 23.00 1 1.5 34.5
9 Jacksonville State 4 4 92 23.00 1 1.0 23.0
12 James Madison 3 9 200 22.22 3 3.0 66.7
13 Virginia Tech 3 9 198 22.00 1 3.0 66.0
13 USC 4 8 176 22.00 1 2.0 44.0
13 Wake Forest 2 2 44 22.00 0 1.0 22.0
16 Temple 2 4 86 21.50 0 2.0 43.0
17 UCF 3 9 185 20.56 0 3.0 61.7
18 Fresno State 2 4 81 20.25 0 2.0 40.5
19 Louisiana Tech 2 5 97 19.40 1 2.5 48.5
20 Maryland 3 3 58 19.33 0 1.0 19.3
21 Ball State 2 2 38 19.00 0 1.0 19.0
22 New Mexico 3 7 124 17.71 0 2.3 41.3
23 Kansas State 3 8 141 17.63 1 2.7 47.0
24 Syracuse 3 12 211 17.58 0 4.0 70.3
25 Army 2 5 87 17.40 0 2.5 43.5
26 Iowa 3 11 187 17.00 1 3.7 62.3
27 Iowa State 2 8 135 16.88 1 4.0 67.5
28 Western Michigan 2 5 84 16.80 0 2.5 42.0
29 BYU 3 6 100 16.67 0 2.0 33.3
30 Washington State 3 9 144 16.00 2 3.0 48.0
31 Oklahoma State 2 9 143 15.89 0 4.5 71.5
32 Vanderbilt 3 8 126 15.75 2 2.7 42.0
33 UCLA 3 5 78 15.60 0 1.7 26.0
34 Michigan State 2 4 61 15.25 0 2.0 30.5
35 Coastal Carolina 3 6 89 14.83 0 2.0 29.7
36 Northern Illinois 2 4 59 14.75 0 2.0 29.5
37 Nevada 3 7 102 14.57 0 2.3 34.0
38 Kansas 2 8 116 14.50 1 4.0 58.0
39 Colorado State 2 5 71 14.20 0 2.5 35.5
40 Utah State 2 4 56 14.00 0 2.0 28.0
40 Arkansas 1 2 28 14.00 0 2.0 28.0
42 Texas 2 3 41 13.67 0 1.5 20.5
43 Penn State 3 13 172 13.23 0 4.3 57.3
44 Georgia State 3 5 66 13.20 0 1.7 22.0
44 North Dakota State 4 5 66 13.20 0 1.3 16.5
46 TCU 3 14 173 12.36 0 4.7 57.7
47 UAB 3 7 84 12.00 0 2.3 28.0
47 Indiana 3 6 72 12.00 0 2.0 24.0
47 Sacramento State 4 4 48 12.00 0 1.0 12.0
47 Rutgers 2 2 24 12.00 0 1.0 12.0
47 Toledo 3 2 24 12.00 1 0.7 8.0
52 Georgia 3 8 95 11.88 0 2.7 31.7
53 Louisiana 2 3 34 11.33 0 1.5 17.0
54 NC State 3 9 99 11.00 0 3.0 33.0
54 LSU 2 4 44 11.00 0 2.0 22.0
54 Southern Miss 3 2 22 11.00 0 0.7 7.3
54 North Texas 2 1 11 11.00 0 0.5 5.5
58 Old Dominion 3 7 71 10.14 0 2.3 23.7
59 Louisville 1 3 30 10.00 0 3.0 30.0
59 Florida Atlantic 2 3 30 10.00 0 1.5 15.0
59 Miami (FL) 3 2 20 10.00 0 0.7 6.7
62 Notre Dame 3 6 59 9.83 0 2.0 19.7
62 Texas A&M 3 6 59 9.83 0 2.0 19.7
64 Missouri State 2 5 48 9.60 0 2.5 24.0
65 Clemson 2 5 47 9.40 0 2.5 23.5
66 Miami (OH) 3 3 28 9.33 1 1.0 9.3
67 Connecticut 3 7 65 9.29 0 2.3 21.7
68 Oregon State 1 4 37 9.25 0 4.0 37.0
68 Tennessee 3 4 37 9.25 0 1.3 12.3
70 USF 3 1 9 9.00 0 0.3 3.0
71 San Jose State 3 7 62 8.86 0 2.3 20.7
72 Utah 3 5 44 8.80 0 1.7 14.7
73 North Carolina 3 3 26 8.67 0 1.0 8.7
74 Buffalo 2 4 34 8.50 0 2.0 17.0
75 Alabama 3 5 42 8.40 0 1.7 14.0
76 Marshall 2 3 25 8.33 0 1.5 12.5
76 West Virginia 3 3 25 8.33 0 1.0 8.3
78 Eastern Michigan 4 2 16 8.00 0 0.5 4.0
78 Central Michigan 3 1 8 8.00 0 0.3 2.7
80 Kentucky 1 4 29 7.25 0 4.0 29.0
81 Cincinnati 3 6 43 7.17 0 2.0 14.3
82 Middle Tennessee State 3 7 50 7.14 0 2.3 16.7
83 UTSA 2 3 21 7.00 0 1.5 10.5
83 Arizona State 2 2 14 7.00 0 1.0 7.0
83 Kennesaw State 2 1 7 7.00 0 0.5 3.5
83 Ohio 3 1 7 7.00 0 0.3 2.3
87 Stanford 2 8 55 6.88 0 4.0 27.5
88 Arkansas State 3 5 34 6.80 0 1.7 11.3
89 Boston College 3 3 20 6.67 0 1.0 6.7
89 Virginia 3 3 20 6.67 0 1.0 6.7
91 Purdue 3 5 33 6.60 0 1.7 11.0
92 Oregon 3 4 26 6.50 0 1.3 8.7
93 Pittsburgh 3 5 32 6.40 0 1.7 10.7
94 Akron 3 6 38 6.33 0 2.0 12.7
95 Texas Tech 2 4 25 6.25 0 2.0 12.5
96 Nebraska 3 10 60 6.00 0 3.3 20.0
96 Delaware 3 6 36 6.00 1 2.0 12.0
96 Tulane 3 2 12 6.00 0 0.7 4.0
96 Texas State 2 1 6 6.00 0 0.5 3.0
100 Baylor 3 6 35 5.83 0 2.0 11.7
101 Washington 3 5 29 5.80 0 1.7 9.7
102 FIU 3 8 46 5.75 0 2.7 15.3
103 San Diego State 3 12 60 5.00 0 4.0 20.0
103 Tulsa 3 5 25 5.00 0 1.7 8.3
103 UTEP 2 3 15 5.00 0 1.5 7.5
106 Michigan 3 4 19 4.75 0 1.3 6.3
107 Sam Houston State 3 4 18 4.50 0 1.3 6.0
107 East Carolina 2 2 9 4.50 0 1.0 4.5
107 Northwestern 2 2 9 4.50 0 1.0 4.5
110 Georgia Southern 3 7 30 4.29 0 2.3 10.0
111 Hawaii 3 4 17 4.25 0 1.3 5.7
112 SMU 2 6 25 4.17 0 3.0 12.5
113 Wyoming 3 4 16 4.00 0 1.3 5.3
113 Houston 2 2 8 4.00 0 1.0 4.0
115 Ohio State 2 8 30 3.75 0 4.0 15.0
116 Appalachian State 3 6 22 3.67 0 2.0 7.3
117 Liberty 3 4 14 3.50 0 1.3 4.7
118 Charlotte 2 3 9 3.00 0 1.5 4.5
118 Navy 2 1 3 3.00 0 0.5 1.5
120 Colorado 3 5 14 2.80 0 1.7 4.7
121 Memphis 4 3 8 2.67 0 0.8 2.0
122 Troy 2 2 5 2.50 0 1.0 2.5
123 Duke 3 5 10 2.00 0 1.7 3.3
124 California 3 4 7 1.75 0 1.3 2.3
125 Louisiana-Monroe 2 3 5 1.67 0 1.5 2.5
126 Georgia Tech 2 2 2 1.00 0 1.0 1.0
127 UNLV 3 2 1 0.50 0 0.7 0.3
128 Auburn 2 3 0 0.00 0 1.5 0.0
128 Air Force 2 1 0 0.00 0 0.5 0.0
130 New Mexico State 3 3 -3 -1.00 0 1.0 -1.0
131 Kent State 2 1 -13 -13.00 0 0.5 -6.5