Phil Steele Blog • February 16, 2016

 

Complete Breakdown of every CFB Team's Returning Starters.

The deadline for players to declare for the NFL draft is over, so it's time to analyze returning starters for the 2016 college football season.

There will be some changes in the spring with a player or two transferring, but the list below gives you a very good idea of which teams will have the most veteran units in 2016 and which teams have the most to replace.

Something crucial to remember: You shouldn't discount the importance of returning starters, even if this past year's CFP title game featured two teams, Alabama and Clemson, that had among the fewest returning starters in the country (just 10 each). The Crimson Tide and Tigers were exceptions to the rule and, for the most part, experienced starters did have a positive impact on teams.

For instance, last year there were 26 teams that returned 16 starters or more, including their QB. Of those 26 teams, 19 had a better record in 2015 than they did in 2014. Five had the same record, and only two of the 26 had a weaker record.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there were 17 teams that returned 11 or fewer starters that did not have a returning starter at QB. Of those 17 teams, only two had a better record (Alabama was one of them). Of the 17 least experienced teams, 14 had a weaker record in 2015 than they did in 2014 and one had the same.

With all that in mind, the numbers listed below provide a good window into what to expect in 2016. I broke them down first by overall ranking -- Louisville and LSU are looking good and Ohio State is ... not -- and then by conference.

Note: An asterisk denotes that the team's starting quarterback is back.

Team Total Offense Defense
T1. Kent State Golden Flashes 18 10* 8
T1. LSU Tigers 18 9* 9
T1. Louisville Cardinals 18 10* 8
T1. Wyoming Cowboys 18 9 9
T5. Charlotte 49ers 17 9* 8
T5. Colorado Buffaloes 17 8* 9
T5. Florida State Seminoles 17 11* 6
T5. Georgia State Panthers 17 8 9
T5. Hawaii Rainbows 17 9* 8
T5. Old Dominion Monarchs 17 9* 8
T5. Tennessee Volunteers 17 9* 8
T12. Arizona Wildcats 16 7* 9
T12. Army Black Knights 16 7* 9
T12. Connecticut Huskies 16 10* 6
T12. Miami Hurricanes 16 10* 6
T12. Oklahoma State Cowboys 16 9* 7
T12. Purdue Boilermakers 16 8* 8
T12. Rice Owls 16 7 9
T12. SMU Mustangs 16 9* 7
T12. Tulane Green Wave 16 8* 8
T12. UCF Knights 16 8* 8
T12. Virginia Tech Hokies 16 8 8
T12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons 16 9* 7
T24. Air Force Falcons 15 6* 9
T24. Appalachian State Mountaineers 15 6* 9
T24. Boston College Eagles 15 8* 7
T24. BYU Cougars 15 7* 8
T24. Eastern Michigan Eagles 15 8* 7
T24. Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns 15 7* 8
T24. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks 15 9* 6
T24. North Texas Mean Green 15 6 9
T24. Pittsburgh Panthers 15 8* 7
T24. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 15 8* 7
T24. San Jose State Spartans 15 8* 7
T24. Syracuse Orange 15 8* 7
T24. Troy Trojans 15 7* 8
T24. Tulsa Golden Hurricane 15 8* 7
T24. USC Trojans 15 9 6
T24. Vanderbilt Commodores 15 8* 7
T24. Washington Huskies 15 8* 7
T41. Arkansas Razorbacks 14 5 9
T41. Ball State Cardinals 14 5* 9
T41. Central Michigan Chippewas 14 6* 8
T41. Florida Atlantic Owls 14 8 6
T41. Florida International Golden Panthers 14 9* 5
T41. Georgia Bulldogs 14 8* 6
T41. Georgia Southern Eagles 14 7* 7
T41. Idaho Vandals 14 8* 6
T41. Iowa State Cyclones 14 6* 8
T41. Kentucky Wildcats 14 9 5
T41. NC State Wolfpack 14 6 8
T41. Nebraska Cornhuskers 14 7* 7
T41. Nevada Wolf Pack 14 9* 5
T41. New Mexico Lobos 14 4* 10
T41. New Mexico State Aggies 14 7* 7
T41. North Carolina Tar Heels 14 7 7
T41. Oregon State Beavers 14 8* 6
T41. Penn State Nittany Lions 14 9 5
T41. South Florida Bulls 14 7* 7
T41. Texas Longhorns 14 7* 7
T41. Utah Utes 14 7 7
T41. UTEP Miners 14 8* 6
T41. Washington State Cougars 14 8* 6
T41. Western Michigan Broncos 14 8* 6
T65. Arkansas State Red Wolves 13 6 7
T65. Boise State Broncos 13 8* 5
T65. Indiana Hoosiers 13 6 7
T65. Kansas Jayhawks 13 6* 7
T65. Michigan Wolverines 13 7 6
T65. Minnesota Golden Gophers 13 7* 6
T65. Mississippi State Bulldogs 13 7 6
T65. Missouri Tigers 13 5* 8
T65. Oklahoma Sooners 13 7* 6
T65. San Diego State Aztecs 13 7 6
T65. South Carolina Gamecocks 13 5* 8
T65. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 13 7* 6
T65. Texas A&M Aggies 13 6 7
T65. UNLV Rebels 13 6 7
T65. West Virginia Mountaineers 13 9* 4
T65. Wisconsin Badgers 13 6 7
T81. Cincinnati Bearcats 12 4* 8
T81. Clemson Tigers 12 8* 4
T81. Fresno State Bulldogs 12 7* 5
T81. Illinois Fighting Illini 12 7* 5
T81. Iowa Hawkeyes 12 5* 7
T81. Kansas State Wildcats 12 5* 7
T81. Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 12 8* 4
T81. Marshall Thundering Herd 12 7* 5
T81. Maryland Terrapins 12 7* 5
T81. Memphis Tigers 12 5 7
T81. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 12 7* 5
T81. Northern Illinois Huskies 12 6* 6
T81. South Alabama Jaguars 12 6 6
T81. Stanford Cardinal 12 6 6
T81. Temple Owls 12 6* 6
T81. Texas Tech Red Raiders 12 5* 7
T81. Virginia Cavaliers 12 6* 6
T98. Alabama Crimson Tide 11 6 5
T98. Auburn Tigers 11 6* 5
T98. Bowling Green Falcons 11 5 6
T98. Buffalo Bulls 11 3 8
T98. Duke Blue Devils 11 5* 6
T98. East Carolina Pirates 11 6* 5
T98. Florida Gators 11 6* 5
T98. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 11 6* 5
T98. Houston Cougars 11 5* 6
T98. Northwestern Wildcats 11 6* 5
T98. Ohio Bobcats 11 5 6
T98. Oregon Ducks 11 6 5
T98. UCLA Bruins 11 4* 7
T98. Utah State Aggies 11 8* 3
T98. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 11 7 4
T113. Arizona State Sun Devils 10 4 6
T113. Baylor Bears 10 5* 5
T113. California Golden Bears 10 4 6
T113. Colorado State Rams 10 6* 4
T113. Michigan State Spartans 10 4 6
T113. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10 5* 5
T113. Ole Miss Rebels 10 5* 5
T113. TCU Horned Frogs 10 3 7
T113. Texas San Antonio Roadrunners 10 5* 5
T123. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 9 6 3
T123. Massachusetts Minutemen 9 5 4
T123. Texas State Bobcats 9 4* 5
T123. Toledo Rockets 10 7 3
T126. Akron Zips 8 4* 4
T126. Navy Midshipmen 8 2 6
128. Ohio State Buckeyes 6 3* 3
American Athletic Conference Total Offense Defense
T1. Connecticut 16 10 6
T1. SMU 16 9 7
T1. Tulane 16 8 8
T1. UCF 16 8 8
5. Tulsa 15 8 7
6. South Florida 14 7 7
T7. Cincinnati 12 4 8
T7. Memphis 12 5 7
T7. Temple 12 6 6
T10. East Carolina 11 6 5
T10. Houston 11 5 6
12. Navy 8 2 6
ACC Total Offense Defense
1. Louisville 18 10 8
2. Florida State 17 11 6
T3. Miami 16 10 6
T3. Virginia Tech 16 8 8
T3. Wake Forest 16 9 7
T6. Boston College 15 8 7
T6. Pittsburgh 15 8 7
T6. Syracuse 15 8 7
T9. NC State 14 6 8
T9. North Carolina 14 7 7
T11. Clemson 12 8 4
T11. Virginia 12 6 6
T13. Duke 11 5 6
T13. Georgia Tech 11 6 5
Big Ten Total Offense Defense
1. Purdue 16 8 8
2. Rutgers 15 8 7
T3. Nebraska 14 7 7
T3. Penn State 14 9 5
T5. Indiana 13 6 7
T5. Michigan 13 7 6
T5. Minnesota 13 7 6
T5. Wisconsin 13 6 7
T9. Illinois 12 7 5
T9. Iowa 12 5 7
T9. Maryland 12 7 5
12. Northwestern 11 6 5
13. Michigan State 10 4 6
14. Ohio State 6 3 3
Big 12 Total Offense Defense
1. Oklahoma State 16 9 7
T2. Iowa State 14 6 8
T2. Texas 14 7 7
T4. Kansas 13 6 7
T4. Oklahoma 13 7 6
T4. West Virginia 13 9 4
T7. Kansas State 12 5 7
T7. Texas Tech 12 5 7
T9. Baylor 10 5 5
T9. TCU 10 3 7
Conference USA Total Offense Defense
T1. Charlotte 17 9 8
T1. Old Dominion 17 9 8
3. Rice 16 7 9
4. North Texas 15 6 9
T5. Florida Atlantic 14 8 6
T5. FIU 14 9 5
T5. UTEP 14 8 6
8. Southern Miss 13 7 6
T9. Marshall 12 7 5
T9. Middle Tennessee 12 7 5
11. Western Kentucky 11 7 4
12. UTSA 10 5 5
13. Louisiana Tech 9 6 3
Independents Total Offense Defense
1. Army 16 7 9
2. BYU 15 7 8
3. Notre Dame 10 5 5
MAC Total Offense Defense
1. Kent State 18 10 8
T2. Eastern Michigan 15 8 7
T2. Miami (OH) 15 9 6
T4. Ball State 14 5 9
T4. Central Michigan 14 6 8
T4. Western Michigan 14 8 6
7. Northern Illinois 12 6 6
T8. Bowling Green 11 5 6
T8. Buffalo 11 3 8
T8. Ohio 11 5 6
11. Toledo 10 7 3
12. Massachusetts 9 5 4
13. Akron 8 4 4
Mountain West Total Offense Defense
1. Wyoming 18 9 9
2. Hawaii 17 9 8
T3. Air Force 15 6 9
T3. San Jose State 15 8 7
T5. Nevada 14 9 5
T5. New Mexico 14 4 10
T7. Boise State 13 8 5
T7. San Diego State 13 7 6
T7. UNLV 13 6 7
10. Fresno State 12 7 5
11. Utah State 11 8 3
12. Colorado State 10 6 4
Pac-12 Total Offense Defense
1. Colorado 17 8 9
2. Arizona 16 7 9
T3. USC 15 9 6
T3. Washington 15 8 7
T5. Oregon State 14 8 6
T5. Utah 14 7 7
T5. Washington State 14 8 6
8. Stanford 12 6 6
T9. Oregon 11 6 5
T9. UCLA 11 4 7
T11. Arizona State 10 4 6
T11. California 10 4 6
SEC Total Offense Defense
1. LSU 18 9 9
2. Tennessee 17 9 8
3. Vanderbilt 15 8 7
T4. Arkansas 14 5 9
T4. Georgia 14 8 6
T4. Kentucky 14 9 5
T7. Mississippi State 13 7 6
T7. Missouri 13 5 8
T7. South Carolina 13 5 8
T7. Texas A&M 13 6 7
T11. Alabama 11 6 5
T11. Auburn 11 6 5
T11. Florida 11 6 5
14. Ole Miss 10 5 5
Sun Belt Total Offense Defense
1. Georgia State 17 8 9
T2. Appalachian State 15 6 9
T2. Troy 15 7 8
T2. Louisiana Lafayette 15 7 8
T5. Georgia Southern 14 7 7
T5. Idaho 14 8 6
T5. New Mexico State 14 7 7
8. Arkansas State 13 6 7
T9. Louisiana Monroe 12 8 4
T9.South Alabama 12 6 6
11. Texas State 9 4 5