Five Major College Football Programs Returning the Most Starters in 2026

These five Power Four programs return the most starters among any college football teams heading into 2026.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) fumbles against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Nearly five and a half months separate the middle of March from the opening weekend of the 2026 college football season.

A new college football season presents opportunities for new programs to emerge on the national scene. Additionally, it presents an opportunity for teams that finished toward the top of college football the previous season to break through and win a national championship.

An important aspect to consider when projecting the best teams entering each college football season is the number of returning starters on each team. The teams that return the most starters likely have better chemistry and feel strong about their odds of making a sustained run in the upcoming season.

Cody Nagel of CBS Sports compiled a list of the FBS programs returning the most starters from their 2025 rosters for the 2026 season. Five teams that either made or narrowly missed the 2025-2026 College Football Playoff were among those who return the most starters.

USC

The Trojans came up just short of the College Football Playoff with a 9-3 overall record in 2025, suffering losses to Oregon, Notre Dame and Illinois. The good news for USC heading into 2026 is that it returns 15 of its starters from 2025, the most by any Power 4 program in the country.

USC returns quarterback Jayden Maiava, running backs Waymond Jordan and King Miller and the entirety of its offensive line from a season ago. Six of the Trojans' 11 starting defenders return from the 2025 season.

Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) passes the ball against the Ole Miss Rebels in the second quarter during the 2026 Sugar Bowl | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Bulldogs are among the handful of programs nationally to return 14 starters from their 2025 team. Georgia aims to return to the College Football Playoff for a third consecutive season in 2026, hoping to make it past the quarterfinals this time around.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton, running back Nate Frazier and tight end Lawson Luckie are among the Bulldogs' most important returnees on the offensive end. Georgia returns eight of 11 defensive starters from a season ago, the majority of which are linebackers or defensive backs.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish were a hot topic of conversation at the end of the 2025 regular season when they were excluded from the College Football Playoff, responding by declining any potential bowl bids. Like Georgia, Notre Dame also returns 14 starters from its 2025 roster.

Four of Notre Dame's six offensive returnees are offensive linemen; the other two returnees are quarterback CJ Carr and lead wide receiver Jordan Faison. Four of the Fighting Irish's eight defensive returning starters are defensive backs, the most notable at cornerback in Leonard Moore.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) huddles with players before a play during a first-round College Football Playoff game | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Sooners are among the programs hoping to make their return to the College Football Playoff in 2026. Oklahoma hosted Alabama in a matchup between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds, falling to the Crimson Tide 34-24.

Oklahoma returns eight offensive starters from its 2025 roster, including quarterback John Mateer, lead wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III and all five offensive linemen. The Sooners return six defensive starters, a number that features key playmakers such as defensive lineman Taylor Wein, linebacker Kip Lewis and defensive backs Eli Bowen and Peyton Bowen.

Oregon

Oregon enters 2026 poised to make the College Football Playoff for a third consecutive season, returning 14 starters from 2025. The Ducks ran past James Madison in the opening round and shut out Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl to reach the semifinals, but disaster struck in their rematch against Indiana in the Peach Bowl.

The Ducks' offense features arguably the most impactful returnee in college football in quarterback Dante Moore, who was trending as the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft before he decided to stay in college in early January. Oregon returns eight defensive starters, three apiece on the defensive line and in the secondary.