2026 National Leaders Punt Returns - Games in October Only through 10/10/2026
| Name | G | Ret. | Yards | Avg. | TD | Ret./G | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 7 | 69 | 9.86 | 0 | 3.5 | 34.5 |
| 1 | BYU | 2 | 7 | 64 | 9.14 | 0 | 3.5 | 32.0 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 2 | 6 | 45 | 7.50 | 0 | 3.0 | 22.5 |
| 3 | Ohio | 2 | 6 | 44 | 7.33 | 0 | 3.0 | 22.0 |
| 5 | Oregon | 1 | 5 | 52 | 10.40 | 0 | 5.0 | 52.0 |
| 5 | UTSA | 2 | 5 | 43 | 8.60 | 0 | 2.5 | 21.5 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 2 | 5 | 40 | 8.00 | 0 | 2.5 | 20.0 |
| 5 | Texas | 1 | 5 | 16 | 3.20 | 0 | 5.0 | 16.0 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 2 | 4 | 67 | 16.75 | 0 | 2.0 | 33.5 |
| 9 | UAB | 2 | 4 | 61 | 15.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 30.5 |
| 9 | Wyoming | 2 | 4 | 54 | 13.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 27.0 |
| 9 | Houston | 2 | 4 | 52 | 13.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 26.0 |
| 9 | Miami (OH) | 2 | 4 | 52 | 13.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 26.0 |
| 9 | Florida State | 2 | 4 | 43 | 10.75 | 0 | 2.0 | 21.5 |
| 9 | Oregon State | 2 | 4 | 36 | 9.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 18.0 |
| 9 | Missouri | 2 | 4 | 35 | 8.75 | 0 | 2.0 | 17.5 |
| 9 | California | 2 | 4 | 33 | 8.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 16.5 |
| 9 | Iowa | 2 | 4 | 27 | 6.75 | 0 | 2.0 | 13.5 |
| 9 | USC | 2 | 4 | 25 | 6.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 12.5 |
| 9 | Minnesota | 2 | 4 | 21 | 5.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 10.5 |
| 9 | Syracuse | 2 | 4 | 16 | 4.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 8.0 |
| 9 | Utah State | 2 | 4 | 13 | 3.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 6.5 |
| 9 | Wake Forest | 2 | 4 | 8 | 2.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| 9 | Fresno State | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.0 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 2 | 3 | 62 | 20.67 | 1 | 1.5 | 31.0 |
| 25 | UNLV | 2 | 3 | 48 | 16.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 24.0 |
| 25 | James Madison | 2 | 3 | 45 | 15.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 22.5 |
| 25 | Ole Miss | 1 | 3 | 40 | 13.33 | 0 | 3.0 | 40.0 |
| 25 | North Texas | 2 | 3 | 28 | 9.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 14.0 |
| 25 | Northwestern | 2 | 3 | 26 | 8.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 13.0 |
| 25 | Utah | 1 | 3 | 24 | 8.00 | 0 | 3.0 | 24.0 |
| 25 | Georgia Southern | 2 | 3 | 24 | 8.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 12.0 |
| 25 | South Carolina | 2 | 3 | 23 | 7.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 11.5 |
| 25 | Tennessee | 2 | 3 | 20 | 6.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 10.0 |
| 25 | North Dakota State | 2 | 3 | 19 | 6.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 9.5 |
| 25 | Toledo | 2 | 3 | 19 | 6.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 9.5 |
| 25 | Liberty | 2 | 3 | 18 | 6.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 9.0 |
| 25 | New Mexico State | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 3.5 |
| 25 | Navy | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 3.0 |
| 25 | East Carolina | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1.67 | 0 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
| 25 | Army | 2 | 3 | -1 | -0.33 | 0 | 1.5 | -0.5 |
| 42 | Kansas | 2 | 2 | 48 | 24.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 24.0 |
| 42 | Kent State | 2 | 2 | 39 | 19.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 19.5 |
| 42 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 2 | 34 | 17.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 34.0 |
| 42 | New Mexico | 1 | 2 | 31 | 15.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 31.0 |
| 42 | West Virginia | 2 | 2 | 30 | 15.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 15.0 |
| 42 | SMU | 1 | 2 | 28 | 14.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 28.0 |
| 42 | Tulane | 1 | 2 | 25 | 12.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Kansas State | 1 | 2 | 24 | 12.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 24.0 |
| 42 | Memphis | 2 | 2 | 23 | 11.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 11.5 |
| 42 | Texas State | 1 | 2 | 20 | 10.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 20.0 |
| 42 | Washington | 2 | 2 | 18 | 9.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 9.0 |
| 42 | Michigan State | 2 | 2 | 16 | 8.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| 42 | Temple | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.5 |
| 42 | Michigan | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 12.0 |
| 42 | UCF | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| 42 | Virginia | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| 42 | Hawaii | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| 42 | Penn State | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| 42 | Kennesaw State | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 9.0 |
| 42 | Central Michigan | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 42 | South Alabama | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 42 | Texas A&M | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 42 | Bowling Green | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 3.5 |
| 42 | Marshall | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| 42 | North Carolina | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| 42 | Maryland | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| 42 | Louisiana Tech | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| 42 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| 42 | Boise State | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 42 | UCLA | 1 | 2 | -3 | -1.50 | 0 | 2.0 | -3.0 |
| 72 | Old Dominion | 2 | 1 | 78 | 78.00 | 1 | 0.5 | 39.0 |
| 72 | Coastal Carolina | 2 | 1 | 73 | 73.00 | 1 | 0.5 | 36.5 |
| 72 | Georgia Tech | 1 | 1 | 33 | 33.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 33.0 |
| 72 | Jacksonville State | 1 | 1 | 25 | 25.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 25.0 |
| 72 | Rice | 2 | 1 | 25 | 25.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 12.5 |
| 72 | Oklahoma State | 1 | 1 | 21 | 21.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 21.0 |
| 72 | Arizona State | 2 | 1 | 21 | 21.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 10.5 |
| 72 | Buffalo | 2 | 1 | 18 | 18.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 9.0 |
| 72 | Eastern Michigan | 2 | 1 | 16 | 16.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 8.0 |
| 72 | LSU | 2 | 1 | 16 | 16.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 8.0 |
| 72 | Arizona | 2 | 1 | 15 | 15.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 7.5 |
| 72 | Purdue | 2 | 1 | 15 | 15.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 7.5 |
| 72 | Sam Houston State | 1 | 1 | 13 | 13.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 13.0 |
| 72 | Baylor | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 12.0 |
| 72 | Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 12.0 |
| 72 | Miami (FL) | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 11.0 |
| 72 | Boston College | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 10.0 |
| 72 | Texas Tech | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 9.0 |
| 72 | Oklahoma | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8.00 | 1 | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| 72 | Connecticut | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 4.0 |
| 72 | Akron | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| 72 | NC State | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| 72 | Illinois | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.0 |
| 72 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.0 |
| 72 | Clemson | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 72 | Western Michigan | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| 72 | San Diego State | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 72 | USF | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 72 | Washington State | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 72 | Georgia | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| 72 | FIU | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 72 | Georgia State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 72 | UTEP | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 72 | Western Kentucky | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 72 | Nevada | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 72 | Arkansas | 2 | 1 | -1 | -1.00 | 0 | 0.5 | -0.5 |
| 72 | Alabama | 2 | 1 | -2 | -2.00 | 0 | 0.5 | -1.0 |