College football's roster cycle has never moved faster. Programs can reshape entire depth charts in a single offseason through the transfer portal. While talent acquisition has become more fluid than ever, continuity still has to be developed the old-fashioned way.
That's where returning starters still matter.
That pattern finally bent last season when Indiana defied all the odds during its historic run to a national championship. Each of the previous eight title winners had returned at least 11 players who made six or more starts the year before, but the Hoosiers finished the job with just eight. National runner-up Miami had a nearly identical profile, also bringing back eight such starters, with both programs surrounding their returning core with experienced transfers.
For this project, returning starters are defined as players who logged at least six starts during the 2025 season, including postseason games. Only offensive and defensive starters are included; special teams players were excluded.
Most spring rosters across the FBS have now been updated, though a small portion remain incomplete or unavailable. Programs without a published roster were reviewed as carefully as possible to determine returning starters for 2026. Because of college football's evolving eligibility landscape -- including medical redshirts, hardship waivers and other eligibility cases -- the list below could change slightly as additional roster updates become available.
For now, each of the 10 teams with the best FanDuel Sportsbook odds to win next season's national title are expected to return at least nine starters from the 2025 campaign. That group is led by Georgia, Notre Dame and Oregon, which each bring back 14 starters -- among the highest totals in the country entering the 2026 season. Those three programs are tied for the FBS lead with eight returning defensive starters.
USC leads all FBS teams with 15 returning starters overall, including a national-high nine on offense, as Lincoln Riley looks to translate that continuity into a long-awaited breakthrough in the Big Ten.
At the other end of the spectrum, three FBS programs return zero starters from last season: Iowa State, Memphis and North Texas. Each saw their coach leave for a new position this offseason.
Here is a complete look at every returning starter in the FBS, listed from most to fewest.
[6] Gunner Stockton (QB), Nate Frazier (RB), Lawson Luckie (TE), Drew Bobo (OL), Dontrell Glover (OL), Earnest Greene III (OL)
[8] Jordan Hall (DL), Xzavier McLeod (DL), Gabe Harris Jr. (LB), Quintavius Johnson (LB), Raylen Wilson (LB), KJ Bolden (DB), Kyron Jones (DB), Ellis Robinson IV (DB)
[6] Malik Washington (QB), DeJuan Williams (RB), Dorian Fleming (TE), Michael Hershey (OL), Rahtrel Perry (OL), Isaiah Wright (OL)
[8] Eyan Thomas (DL), Zahir Mathis (LB), Trey Reddick (LB), Sidney Stewart (LB), Daniel Wingate (LB), Jamare Glasker (DB), Dontay Joyner (DB), Lavain Scruggs (DB)
[8] Jack Layne (QB), Cade Keith (TE), Shawn Miller (WR), Zhaiel Smith (WR), Malik Aliane (OL), Tyler Lawrence (OL), Kaden Robnett (OL), Jaymar Tasi (OL)
[6] Brian Booker (DL), Jaxton Eck (LB), Mercury Swaim (LB), Tavian Combs (DB), CJ McBean (DB), Abraham Williams (DB)
[6] CJ Carr (QB), Jordan Faison (WR), Ashton Craig (OL), Anthonie Knapp (OL), Guerby Lambert (OL), Joe Otting (OL)
[8] Jason Onye (DL), Boubacar Traore (DL), Jaiden Ausberry (LB), Drayk Bowen (LB), Christian Gray (DB), Tae Johnson (DB), Leonard Moore (DB), Adon Shuler (DB)
[8] John Mateer (QB), Tory Blaylock (RB), Isaiah Sategna III (WR), Michael Fasusi (OL), Ryan Fodje (OL), Jake Maikkula (OL), Heath Ozaeta (OL), Eddy Pierre-Louis (OL)
[6] Jayden Jackson (DL), Taylor Wein (DL), Kip Lewis (LB), Eli Bowen (DB), Peyton Bowen (DB), Courtland Guillory (DB)
[8] Marcellous Hawkins (RB), Ayden Greene (WR), Takye Heath (WR), Benji Gosnell (TE), Kyle Altuner (OL), Johnny Garrett (OL), Layth Ghannam (OL), Aidan Lynch (OL)
[6] Kemari Copeland (DL), Elhadj Fall (DL), Noah Chambers (LB), Isaiah Brown-Murray (DB), Tyson Flowers (DB), Thomas Williams (DB)
[7] Maddux Madsen (QB), Dylan Riley (RB), Cameron Bates (WR), Matt Wagner (TE), Roger Carreon (OL), Daylon Metoyer (OL), Jason Steele (OL)
[6] David Latu (DL), Max Stege (DL), Boen Phelps (LB), Jake Ripp (LB), Jayden Virgin-Morgan (LB), Jaden Mickey (DB)
[5] Bear Bachmeier (QB), LJ Martin (RB), Jojo Phillips (WR), Andrew Gentry (OL), Bruce Mitchell (OL)
[8] Bodie Schoonover (DL), Keanu Tanuvasa (DL), Siale Esera (LB), Isaiah Glasker (LB), Therrian Alexander III (DB), Raider Damuni (DB), Evan Johnson (DB), Faletau Satuala (DB)
[6] Bryson Donelson (RB), Ezekiel Avit (WR), Josiah Freeman (WR), Edward Fonua (OL), Rolan Fullwood (OL), Brayden Walton (OL)
[7] Jahzon Jacks (DL), Deijon Laffitte (DL), Martin Owusu (DL), Tytus Khajavi (LB), K'vion Thunderbird (LB), Simeon Harris (DB), Ryan Wilson (DB)
[8] DeSean Bishop (RB), Mike Matthews (WR), Braylon Staley (WR), Wendell Moe Jr. (OL), Sam Pendleton (OL), Jesse Perry (OL), David Sanders Jr. (OL), Shamurad Umarov (OL)
[5] Arion Carter (LB), Edwin Spillman (LB), Jeremiah Telander (LB), Edrees Farooq (DB), Ty Redmond (DB)
[7] Cameron Dickey (RB), J'Koby Williams (RB), Coy Eakin (WR), Terrance Carter Jr. (TE), Jacob Ponton (OL), Howard Sampson (OL), Sheridan Wilson (OL)
[6] A.J. Holmes Jr. (DL), Ben Roberts (LB), Amier Boyd (DB), John Curry (DB), Brenden Jordan (DB), Brice Pollock (DB)
[7] Nick Minicucci (QB), Jo Silver (RB), Sean Wilson (WR), Elijah Sessoms (TE), Anthony Caccese (OL), Steven Demboski (OL), Noah Rosahac (OL)
[6] Noah Matthews (DL), Blake Matthews (LB), Gavin Moul (LB), Kshawn Cox Jr. (DB), KT Seay (DB), Sean Wilson (DB)
[7] Conner Weigman (QB), Amare Thomas (WR), Harvey Broussard III (WR), Koby Young (WR), McKenzie Agnello (OL), Alvin Ebosele (OL)
[6] Khalil Laufau (DL), Sione Fotu (LB), Brandon Mack II (LB), Jordan Allen (DB), Will James (DB), Kentrell Webb (DB)
[5] Luke Hutchison (WR), Sean Crowley (OL), Malcolm Johnson (OL), Cam Nichols (OL), Hoke Smith II (OL)
[7] Julien Moutome (DL), Griffen Willis (DL), Coleman Cauley (LB), Job Grant (LB), MarcAnthony Parker (LB), Phillip Hamilton (DB), Giuseppe Sessi (DB)
[6] Jacory Barney Jr. (WR), Nyziah Hunter (WR), Luke Lindenmeyer (TE), Justin Evans (OL), Gunnar Gottula (OL), Elijah Pritchett (OL)
[6] Cameron Lenhardt (DL), Williams Nwaneri (DL), Vincent Shavers Jr. (LB), Rex Guthrie (DB), Donovan Jones (DB), Andrew Marshall (DB)
[5] Micah Ford (RB), Fisher Anderson (OL), Kahlil House (OL), Niki Prongos (OL), Josh Williams (OL)
