2012 National Leaders Punt Returns - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Ret. | Yards | Avg. | TD | Ret./G | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1 | 1 | 41 | 41.00 | 1 | 1.0 | 41.0 |
| 2 | Texas State | 2 | 2 | 71 | 35.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 35.5 |
| 3 | Arkansas State | 2 | 1 | 22 | 22.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 11.0 |
| 4 | Texas Tech | 3 | 2 | 41 | 20.50 | 0 | 0.7 | 13.7 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 5 | 7 | 130 | 18.57 | 1 | 1.4 | 26.0 |
| 6 | Navy | 2 | 1 | 17 | 17.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 8.5 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 5 | 84 | 16.80 | 1 | 2.5 | 42.0 |
| 8 | South Carolina | 6 | 13 | 218 | 16.77 | 2 | 2.2 | 36.3 |
| 9 | Iowa | 4 | 4 | 64 | 16.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 16.0 |
| 10 | Florida | 7 | 5 | 77 | 15.40 | 0 | 0.7 | 11.0 |
| 11 | Florida State | 3 | 6 | 92 | 15.33 | 0 | 2.0 | 30.7 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 2 | 7 | 107 | 15.29 | 1 | 3.5 | 53.5 |
| 13 | Cincinnati | 1 | 1 | 15 | 15.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 15.0 |
| 14 | Temple | 1 | 3 | 41 | 13.67 | 0 | 3.0 | 41.0 |
| 15 | UTEP | 1 | 5 | 66 | 13.20 | 1 | 5.0 | 66.0 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 6 | 9 | 114 | 12.67 | 1 | 1.5 | 19.0 |
| 17 | UAB | 2 | 4 | 44 | 11.00 | 1 | 2.0 | 22.0 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 4 | 6 | 66 | 11.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 16.5 |
| 19 | Georgia | 5 | 9 | 92 | 10.22 | 0 | 1.8 | 18.4 |
| 20 | Florida Atlantic | 2 | 1 | 10 | 10.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 5.0 |
| 21 | Michigan State | 6 | 6 | 58 | 9.67 | 0 | 1.0 | 9.7 |
| 22 | UCLA | 4 | 6 | 55 | 9.17 | 0 | 1.5 | 13.8 |
| 23 | Northwestern | 3 | 6 | 54 | 9.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 18.0 |
| 23 | New Mexico | 2 | 1 | 9 | 9.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 4.5 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 4 | 5 | 44 | 8.80 | 0 | 1.3 | 11.0 |
| 26 | Hawai'i | 1 | 3 | 25 | 8.33 | 0 | 3.0 | 25.0 |
| 27 | Alabama | 5 | 8 | 66 | 8.25 | 0 | 1.6 | 13.2 |
| 28 | Stanford | 4 | 9 | 74 | 8.22 | 0 | 2.3 | 18.5 |
| 29 | Louisiana Tech | 3 | 6 | 48 | 8.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 16.0 |
| 29 | San Diego State | 2 | 4 | 32 | 8.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 16.0 |
| 29 | Syracuse | 2 | 3 | 24 | 8.00 | 0 | 1.5 | 12.0 |
| 32 | Missouri | 6 | 10 | 77 | 7.70 | 0 | 1.7 | 12.8 |
| 33 | Buffalo | 2 | 3 | 23 | 7.67 | 0 | 1.5 | 11.5 |
| 33 | Oklahoma State | 3 | 3 | 23 | 7.67 | 0 | 1.0 | 7.7 |
| 35 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 2 | 15 | 7.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 15.0 |
| 36 | Mississippi State | 4 | 5 | 37 | 7.40 | 0 | 1.3 | 9.3 |
| 36 | Vanderbilt | 4 | 5 | 37 | 7.40 | 0 | 1.3 | 9.3 |
| 38 | Oregon State | 3 | 4 | 28 | 7.00 | 0 | 1.3 | 9.3 |
| 38 | UCF | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 7.0 |
| 38 | Iowa State | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| 41 | Kentucky | 5 | 6 | 40 | 6.67 | 0 | 1.2 | 8.0 |
| 41 | Kansas | 4 | 3 | 20 | 6.67 | 0 | 0.8 | 5.0 |
| 43 | Duke | 3 | 2 | 13 | 6.50 | 0 | 0.7 | 4.3 |
| 44 | Arizona State | 2 | 9 | 55 | 6.11 | 0 | 4.5 | 27.5 |
| 44 | Minnesota | 3 | 9 | 55 | 6.11 | 0 | 3.0 | 18.3 |
| 46 | South Florida | 2 | 4 | 24 | 6.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 12.0 |
| 46 | Texas | 3 | 4 | 24 | 6.00 | 0 | 1.3 | 8.0 |
| 46 | Arizona | 3 | 3 | 18 | 6.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.0 |
| 46 | Colorado | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.0 |
| 46 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.0 |
| 46 | Baylor | 3 | 2 | 12 | 6.00 | 0 | 0.7 | 4.0 |
| 52 | Michigan | 6 | 6 | 34 | 5.67 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.7 |
| 52 | North Carolina State | 3 | 3 | 17 | 5.67 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.7 |
| 54 | Colorado State | 3 | 3 | 16 | 5.33 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.3 |
| 55 | Louisville | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 10.0 |
| 55 | BYU | 5 | 7 | 35 | 5.00 | 0 | 1.4 | 7.0 |
| 55 | California | 4 | 5 | 25 | 5.00 | 0 | 1.3 | 6.3 |
| 55 | Toledo | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
| 55 | Washington State | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 1.7 |
| 60 | Penn State | 3 | 9 | 44 | 4.89 | 1 | 3.0 | 14.7 |
| 61 | LSU | 5 | 14 | 64 | 4.57 | 0 | 2.8 | 12.8 |
| 61 | Mississippi | 6 | 7 | 32 | 4.57 | 0 | 1.2 | 5.3 |
| 63 | Auburn | 6 | 5 | 22 | 4.40 | 0 | 0.8 | 3.7 |
| 64 | Texas A&M | 4 | 9 | 39 | 4.33 | 0 | 2.3 | 9.8 |
| 65 | Kansas State | 3 | 4 | 17 | 4.25 | 0 | 1.3 | 5.7 |
| 66 | Southern Mississippi | 3 | 3 | 12 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 66 | Indiana | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 66 | Akron | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 66 | Georgia Tech | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4.00 | 0 | 0.7 | 2.7 |
| 70 | Florida International | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 7.0 |
| 71 | Washington | 5 | 7 | 24 | 3.43 | 0 | 1.4 | 4.8 |
| 72 | Fresno State | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 5.0 |
| 73 | Purdue | 3 | 5 | 16 | 3.20 | 0 | 1.7 | 5.3 |
| 74 | Wake Forest | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 74 | Wyoming | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 74 | West Virginia | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| 77 | North Carolina | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| 77 | UNLV | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| 79 | Oregon | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2.33 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
| 80 | Notre Dame | 4 | 5 | 11 | 2.20 | 0 | 1.3 | 2.8 |
| 81 | SMU | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| 81 | USC | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2.00 | 0 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| 83 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1.60 | 0 | 2.5 | 4.0 |
| 84 | Central Michigan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 84 | Rutgers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 84 | Maryland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 87 | Utah | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0.75 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.5 |
| 88 | UTSA | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0.33 | 0 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| 89 | Idaho | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| 89 | TCU | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| 89 | Bowling Green | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 89 | East Carolina | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 89 | Utah State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 89 | Illinois | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| 95 | Arkansas | 4 | 3 | -2 | -0.67 | 0 | 0.8 | -0.5 |
| 96 | Massachusetts | 3 | 4 | -3 | -0.75 | 0 | 1.3 | -1.0 |
| 97 | San Jose State | 2 | 1 | -1 | -1.00 | 0 | 0.5 | -0.5 |
| 98 | Clemson | 3 | 2 | -3 | -1.50 | 0 | 0.7 | -1.0 |
| 99 | Connecticut | 1 | 1 | -3 | -3.00 | 0 | 1.0 | -3.0 |