2026 National Leaders Punt Returns - Games vs. FBS (I-A) Teams Only through 09/19/2026
| Name | G | Ret. | Yards | Avg. | TD | Ret./G | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State | 3 | 13 | 172 | 13.23 | 0 | 4.3 | 57.3 |
| 2 | San Diego State | 2 | 8 | 42 | 5.25 | 0 | 4.0 | 21.0 |
| 3 | Iowa | 2 | 7 | 147 | 21.00 | 1 | 3.5 | 73.5 |
| 3 | Nevada | 2 | 7 | 102 | 14.57 | 0 | 3.5 | 51.0 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 2 | 7 | 35 | 5.00 | 0 | 3.5 | 17.5 |
| 6 | Ohio State | 3 | 10 | 46 | 4.60 | 0 | 3.3 | 15.3 |
| 7 | TCU | 2 | 6 | 64 | 10.67 | 0 | 3.0 | 32.0 |
| 8 | Stanford | 3 | 8 | 55 | 6.88 | 0 | 2.7 | 18.3 |
| 8 | FIU | 3 | 8 | 46 | 5.75 | 0 | 2.7 | 15.3 |
| 10 | Iowa State | 2 | 5 | 102 | 20.40 | 1 | 2.5 | 51.0 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 2 | 5 | 84 | 16.80 | 0 | 2.5 | 42.0 |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 5 | 83 | 16.60 | 1 | 2.5 | 41.5 |
| 10 | Syracuse | 2 | 5 | 52 | 10.40 | 0 | 2.5 | 26.0 |
| 10 | Kansas State | 2 | 5 | 51 | 10.20 | 0 | 2.5 | 25.5 |
| 15 | UAB | 3 | 7 | 84 | 12.00 | 0 | 2.3 | 28.0 |
| 16 | USC | 4 | 8 | 176 | 22.00 | 1 | 2.0 | 44.0 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 3 | 6 | 130 | 21.67 | 1 | 2.0 | 43.3 |
| 16 | Middle Tennessee State | 2 | 4 | 41 | 10.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 20.5 |
| 16 | Notre Dame | 3 | 6 | 59 | 9.83 | 0 | 2.0 | 19.7 |
| 16 | Texas A&M | 3 | 6 | 59 | 9.83 | 0 | 2.0 | 19.7 |
| 16 | Texas Tech | 2 | 4 | 34 | 8.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 17.0 |
| 16 | Utah State | 2 | 4 | 34 | 8.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 17.0 |
| 16 | Washington | 2 | 4 | 28 | 7.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 14.0 |
| 16 | BYU | 2 | 4 | 27 | 6.75 | 0 | 2.0 | 13.5 |
| 16 | James Madison | 2 | 4 | 24 | 6.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 12.0 |
| 16 | Arkansas State | 2 | 4 | 23 | 5.75 | 0 | 2.0 | 11.5 |
| 16 | Wyoming | 2 | 4 | 16 | 4.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 8.0 |
| 16 | Arizona State | 2 | 4 | 13 | 3.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 6.5 |
| 16 | SMU | 2 | 4 | 12 | 3.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 6.0 |
| 16 | Western Michigan | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 31 | UCLA | 3 | 5 | 78 | 15.60 | 0 | 1.7 | 26.0 |
| 31 | Clemson | 3 | 5 | 47 | 9.40 | 0 | 1.7 | 15.7 |
| 31 | Alabama | 3 | 5 | 42 | 8.40 | 0 | 1.7 | 14.0 |
| 31 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 5 | 32 | 6.40 | 0 | 1.7 | 10.7 |
| 31 | San Jose State | 3 | 5 | 18 | 3.60 | 0 | 1.7 | 6.0 |
| 31 | Duke | 3 | 5 | 10 | 2.00 | 0 | 1.7 | 3.3 |
| 37 | Arizona | 2 | 3 | 74 | 24.67 | 1 | 1.5 | 37.0 |
| 37 | Boise State | 2 | 3 | 74 | 24.67 | 1 | 1.5 | 37.0 |
| 37 | UCF | 2 | 3 | 72 | 24.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 36.0 |
| 37 | NC State | 2 | 3 | 65 | 21.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 32.5 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 2 | 3 | 55 | 18.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 27.5 |
| 37 | Old Dominion | 2 | 3 | 38 | 12.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 19.0 |
| 37 | Colorado State | 2 | 3 | 34 | 11.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 17.0 |
| 37 | South Carolina | 2 | 3 | 30 | 10.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 15.0 |
| 37 | Georgia | 2 | 3 | 27 | 9.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 13.5 |
| 37 | Tennessee | 2 | 3 | 25 | 8.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 12.5 |
| 37 | Delaware | 2 | 3 | 23 | 7.67 | 1 | 1.5 | 11.5 |
| 37 | Cincinnati | 2 | 3 | 21 | 7.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 10.5 |
| 37 | Connecticut | 2 | 3 | 19 | 6.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 9.5 |
| 37 | Liberty | 2 | 3 | 11 | 3.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 5.5 |
| 37 | Utah | 2 | 3 | 11 | 3.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 5.5 |
| 37 | Akron | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 4.5 |
| 37 | Colorado | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 4.0 |
| 37 | Oklahoma State | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 3.5 |
| 37 | Appalachian State | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| 56 | Fresno State | 3 | 4 | 81 | 20.25 | 0 | 1.3 | 27.0 |
| 56 | Michigan State | 3 | 4 | 61 | 15.25 | 0 | 1.3 | 20.3 |
| 56 | Wake Forest | 3 | 4 | 58 | 14.50 | 0 | 1.3 | 19.3 |
| 56 | LSU | 3 | 4 | 44 | 11.00 | 0 | 1.3 | 14.7 |
| 56 | Texas | 3 | 4 | 39 | 9.75 | 0 | 1.3 | 13.0 |
| 56 | Michigan | 3 | 4 | 19 | 4.75 | 0 | 1.3 | 6.3 |
| 56 | Hawaii | 3 | 4 | 17 | 4.25 | 0 | 1.3 | 5.7 |
| 63 | Illinois | 2 | 2 | 79 | 39.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 39.5 |
| 63 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 2 | 78 | 39.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 39.0 |
| 63 | Kansas | 2 | 2 | 77 | 38.50 | 1 | 1.0 | 38.5 |
| 63 | Missouri | 2 | 2 | 68 | 34.00 | 1 | 1.0 | 34.0 |
| 63 | Indiana | 2 | 2 | 53 | 26.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 26.5 |
| 63 | Georgia State | 2 | 2 | 26 | 13.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 13.0 |
| 63 | Houston | 2 | 2 | 22 | 11.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 11.0 |
| 63 | Florida Atlantic | 3 | 3 | 30 | 10.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 10.0 |
| 63 | Louisville | 2 | 2 | 19 | 9.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 9.5 |
| 63 | North Carolina | 2 | 2 | 18 | 9.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 9.0 |
| 63 | Marshall | 3 | 3 | 25 | 8.33 | 0 | 1.0 | 8.3 |
| 63 | Georgia Tech | 2 | 2 | 14 | 7.00 | 1 | 1.0 | 7.0 |
| 63 | Army | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 7.0 |
| 63 | Sam Houston State | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| 63 | Louisiana | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| 63 | Washington State | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| 63 | Purdue | 2 | 2 | 9 | 4.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.5 |
| 63 | Northwestern | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 63 | East Carolina | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| 63 | California | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| 63 | Ole Miss | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2.33 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
| 63 | Boston College | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| 63 | Baylor | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| 63 | Auburn | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 63 | Kentucky | 2 | 2 | -1 | -0.50 | 0 | 1.0 | -0.5 |
| 63 | Tulsa | 2 | 2 | -1 | -0.50 | 0 | 1.0 | -0.5 |
| 63 | Georgia Southern | 2 | 2 | -5 | -2.50 | 0 | 1.0 | -2.5 |
| 90 | Jacksonville State | 3 | 2 | 77 | 38.50 | 1 | 0.7 | 25.7 |
| 90 | Rutgers | 3 | 2 | 24 | 12.00 | 0 | 0.7 | 8.0 |
| 90 | Sacramento State | 3 | 2 | 23 | 11.50 | 0 | 0.7 | 7.7 |
| 90 | Western Kentucky | 3 | 2 | 20 | 10.00 | 0 | 0.7 | 6.7 |
| 90 | Tulane | 3 | 2 | 12 | 6.00 | 0 | 0.7 | 4.0 |
| 90 | Florida State | 3 | 2 | 11 | 5.50 | 0 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
| 90 | Memphis | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.50 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| 90 | UNLV | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.50 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| 98 | UTSA | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 5.5 |
| 98 | Eastern Michigan | 4 | 2 | 16 | 8.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 4.0 |
| 98 | Central Michigan | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 4.0 |
| 98 | UTEP | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| 98 | West Virginia | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.0 |
| 98 | Wisconsin | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 98 | Louisiana Tech | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| 98 | Oregon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 98 | Buffalo | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| 98 | Florida | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| 98 | New Mexico State | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| 98 | Virginia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| 98 | Coastal Carolina | 2 | 1 | -2 | -2.00 | 0 | 0.5 | -1.0 |
| 98 | Miami (OH) | 2 | 1 | -2 | -2.00 | 0 | 0.5 | -1.0 |
| 98 | Miami (FL) | 2 | 1 | -2 | -2.00 | 0 | 0.5 | -1.0 |
| 98 | Missouri State | 2 | 1 | -6 | -6.00 | 0 | 0.5 | -3.0 |
| 114 | North Dakota State | 3 | 1 | 40 | 40.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 13.3 |
| 114 | North Texas | 3 | 1 | 11 | 11.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 3.7 |
| 114 | Ohio | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| 114 | Texas State | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 2.0 |