The number of returning starters a team has still matters in college football. Maybe not as much as it used to with the transfer portal becoming such a force in roster building, but continuity remains important to overall success. Indiana was the first national champion in nine years that didn't return at least 11 starters.
The Hoosiers had just eight players combined on offense and defense who made six or more starts the year before. Runner-up Miami had a nearly identical profile, also bringing back eight starters, with both programs surrounding their returning core with experienced transfers. Well, each of the eight teams with the best FanDuel Sportsbook odds to win this season's national championship return double-digit starters from the 2025 campaign.
That group is led by Georgia, Notre Dame and Oregon, all of which bring back 14 starters -- among the highest totals in the FBS. USC leads the entire FBS with 15 returning starters, including a national-high nine on offense, as Lincoln Riley looks to translate that continuity into a breakthrough in the Big Ten. At the other end of the list, two FBS programs return zero starters from last season: Iowa State and North Texas.
In both cases, the roster was reset in part by a coaching change, with Matt Campbell leaving Iowa State for Penn State and Eric Morris leaving North Texas for Oklahoma State after the 2025 season. The numbers and names in the table below reflect some late-offseason movement following the NCAA's adoption of its new five-for-five eligibility model and a subsequent federal court ruling in Colorado that granted an additional season of eligibility to athletes from the 2022 high school class. The ruling opened the door for players who had exhausted their eligibility after the 2025-26 season to return for another year, creating another wave of roster movement just weeks before the start of the season.
A handful of programs took advantage of that opportunity and welcomed back proven starters for another year, changing some of the numbers from the initial version of this list published in the spring. And now, with fall camp underway, there is an unfortunate variable in the form of injuries, with several prominent players already lost for the season. For the sake of consistency, those players remain listed here as returning starters based on their 2025 production and starts, even though they will not take the field in 2026.
Here is a complete look at every returning starter in the FBS, listed from most to fewest. [9] Jayden Maiava (QB), Waymond Jordan (RB), King Miller (RB), Tanook Hines (WR), Alani Noa (OL), Kilian O'Connor (OL), Elijah Paige (OL), Tobias Raymond (OL), Justin Tauanuu (OL) [6] Jide Abasiri (DL), Kameryn Crawford (LB), Desman Stephens II (LB), Braylan Shelby (LB), Christian Pierce (DB), Marcelles Williams (DB) [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), Quintavius Johnson (LB), Gabe Harris Jr. (LB), Raylen Wilson (LB), KJ Bolden (DB), Ellis Robinson IV (DB), Kyron Jones (DB) [8] Jack Layne (QB), Shawn Miller (WR), Zhaiel Smith (WR), Cade Keith (TE), 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), Peyton Bowen (DB), Eli Bowen (DB), Courtland Guillory (DB) [6] Dante Moore (QB), Jeremiah McClellan (WR), Dakorien Moore (WR), Jamari Johnson (TE), Dave Iuli (OL), Iapani Laloulu (OL) [8] Bear Alexander (DL), Matayo Uiagalelei (DL), A'Mauri Washington (DL), Jerry Mixon (LB), Teitum Tuioti (LB), Aaron Flowers (DB), Brandon Finney Jr. (DB), Ify Obidegwu (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), Raider Damuni (DB), Therrian Alexander III (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) [6] Malik Washington (QB), DeJuan Williams (RB), Dorian Fleming (TE), Michael Hershey (OL), Rahtrel Perry (OL), Isaiah Wright (OL) [7] Eyan Thomas (DL), Zahir Mathis (LB), Trey Reddick (LB), Sidney Stewart (LB), Daniel Wingate (LB), Jamare Glasker (DB), Lavain Scruggs (DB) [8] DeSean Bishop (RB), Mike Matthews (WR), Braylon Staley (WR), Wendell Moe Jr. (OL), David Sanders Jr. (OL), Sam Pendleton (OL), Jesse Perry (OL), Shamurad Umarov (OL) [5] Arion Carter (LB), Edwin Spillman (LB), Jeremiah Telander (LB), Edrees Farooq (DB), Ty Redmond (DB) [7] Arch Manning (QB), Emmett Mosley V (WR), Ryan Wingo (WR),
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