2012 National Leaders Punt Returns - Games vs. FBS (I-A) Teams Only through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Ret. | Yards | Avg. | TD | Ret./G | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas State | 11 | 17 | 341 | 20.06 | 1 | 1.5 | 31.0 |
| 2 | Northwestern | 12 | 18 | 321 | 17.83 | 2 | 1.5 | 26.8 |
| 3 | Boston College | 11 | 11 | 189 | 17.18 | 0 | 1.0 | 17.2 |
| 4 | South Carolina | 12 | 30 | 427 | 14.23 | 2 | 2.5 | 35.6 |
| 5 | Kansas State | 12 | 16 | 227 | 14.19 | 0 | 1.3 | 18.9 |
| 6 | Nevada | 12 | 15 | 210 | 14.00 | 0 | 1.3 | 17.5 |
| 7 | Hawai'i | 11 | 20 | 276 | 13.80 | 1 | 1.8 | 25.1 |
| 8 | Florida State | 12 | 30 | 405 | 13.50 | 2 | 2.5 | 33.8 |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | 13 | 19 | 250 | 13.16 | 0 | 1.5 | 19.2 |
| 10 | Florida | 12 | 17 | 218 | 12.82 | 1 | 1.4 | 18.2 |
| 11 | Arizona | 12 | 13 | 166 | 12.77 | 1 | 1.1 | 13.8 |
| 12 | Duke | 12 | 20 | 253 | 12.65 | 1 | 1.7 | 21.1 |
| 13 | Memphis | 11 | 24 | 303 | 12.63 | 1 | 2.2 | 27.5 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 12 | 22 | 274 | 12.45 | 3 | 1.8 | 22.8 |
| 15 | Stanford | 14 | 25 | 299 | 11.96 | 1 | 1.8 | 21.4 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 11 | 18 | 215 | 11.94 | 1 | 1.6 | 19.5 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 12 | 24 | 285 | 11.88 | 2 | 2.0 | 23.8 |
| 18 | Vanderbilt | 12 | 29 | 332 | 11.45 | 3 | 2.4 | 27.7 |
| 19 | Oregon | 12 | 16 | 183 | 11.44 | 1 | 1.3 | 15.3 |
| 20 | Tulane | 12 | 13 | 147 | 11.31 | 0 | 1.1 | 12.3 |
| 21 | UAB | 11 | 21 | 236 | 11.24 | 2 | 1.9 | 21.5 |
| 22 | Ball State | 13 | 16 | 177 | 11.06 | 0 | 1.2 | 13.6 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 12 | 15 | 165 | 11.00 | 1 | 1.3 | 13.8 |
| 23 | UTSA | 8 | 10 | 110 | 11.00 | 1 | 1.3 | 13.8 |
| 25 | Pittsburgh | 11 | 19 | 205 | 10.79 | 1 | 1.7 | 18.6 |
| 26 | UCF | 14 | 25 | 266 | 10.64 | 0 | 1.8 | 19.0 |
| 27 | Missouri | 11 | 23 | 241 | 10.48 | 1 | 2.1 | 21.9 |
| 28 | Alabama | 13 | 30 | 313 | 10.43 | 0 | 2.3 | 24.1 |
| 29 | Boise State | 13 | 27 | 281 | 10.41 | 0 | 2.1 | 21.6 |
| 30 | Baylor | 12 | 15 | 156 | 10.40 | 0 | 1.3 | 13.0 |
| 31 | Ohio State | 12 | 27 | 280 | 10.37 | 3 | 2.3 | 23.3 |
| 32 | Marshall | 11 | 12 | 122 | 10.17 | 1 | 1.1 | 11.1 |
| 33 | Colorado State | 11 | 12 | 121 | 10.08 | 0 | 1.1 | 11.0 |
| 34 | UTEP | 12 | 19 | 191 | 10.05 | 1 | 1.6 | 15.9 |
| 35 | Wyoming | 11 | 9 | 89 | 9.89 | 0 | 0.8 | 8.1 |
| 36 | Wake Forest | 11 | 13 | 128 | 9.85 | 0 | 1.2 | 11.6 |
| 37 | Toledo | 12 | 16 | 155 | 9.69 | 1 | 1.3 | 12.9 |
| 38 | Oklahoma State | 12 | 27 | 259 | 9.59 | 1 | 2.3 | 21.6 |
| 39 | Utah State | 12 | 28 | 268 | 9.57 | 1 | 2.3 | 22.3 |
| 40 | SMU | 12 | 19 | 181 | 9.53 | 0 | 1.6 | 15.1 |
| 41 | Ohio | 12 | 25 | 237 | 9.48 | 0 | 2.1 | 19.8 |
| 42 | Texas Tech | 12 | 15 | 139 | 9.27 | 0 | 1.3 | 11.6 |
| 43 | Virginia Tech | 12 | 32 | 294 | 9.19 | 1 | 2.7 | 24.5 |
| 44 | UCLA | 14 | 33 | 302 | 9.15 | 0 | 2.4 | 21.6 |
| 45 | North Carolina | 11 | 26 | 236 | 9.08 | 1 | 2.4 | 21.5 |
| 46 | Northern Illinois | 13 | 28 | 253 | 9.04 | 0 | 2.2 | 19.5 |
| 46 | Fresno State | 12 | 23 | 208 | 9.04 | 1 | 1.9 | 17.3 |
| 46 | Michigan State | 13 | 23 | 208 | 9.04 | 0 | 1.8 | 16.0 |
| 49 | Western Kentucky | 12 | 18 | 160 | 8.89 | 0 | 1.5 | 13.3 |
| 50 | South Alabama | 12 | 15 | 133 | 8.87 | 0 | 1.3 | 11.1 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | 13 | 22 | 194 | 8.82 | 1 | 1.7 | 14.9 |
| 52 | Michigan | 13 | 16 | 141 | 8.81 | 0 | 1.2 | 10.8 |
| 53 | Texas | 13 | 14 | 123 | 8.79 | 0 | 1.1 | 9.5 |
| 54 | LSU | 12 | 33 | 286 | 8.67 | 2 | 2.8 | 23.8 |
| 55 | Western Michigan | 11 | 12 | 100 | 8.33 | 0 | 1.1 | 9.1 |
| 56 | Georgia | 13 | 25 | 207 | 8.28 | 0 | 1.9 | 15.9 |
| 57 | Arizona State | 12 | 31 | 256 | 8.26 | 0 | 2.6 | 21.3 |
| 58 | Temple | 10 | 23 | 187 | 8.13 | 0 | 2.3 | 18.7 |
| 58 | Texas A&M | 11 | 24 | 195 | 8.13 | 0 | 2.2 | 17.7 |
| 60 | Florida International | 12 | 25 | 201 | 8.04 | 1 | 2.1 | 16.8 |
| 61 | Maryland | 11 | 23 | 182 | 7.91 | 0 | 2.1 | 16.5 |
| 62 | Bowling Green | 12 | 24 | 189 | 7.88 | 0 | 2.0 | 15.8 |
| 63 | Troy | 12 | 18 | 141 | 7.83 | 0 | 1.5 | 11.8 |
| 64 | Mississippi State | 12 | 19 | 147 | 7.74 | 0 | 1.6 | 12.3 |
| 65 | TCU | 12 | 21 | 162 | 7.71 | 0 | 1.8 | 13.5 |
| 66 | Massachusetts | 12 | 20 | 154 | 7.70 | 0 | 1.7 | 12.8 |
| 67 | California | 11 | 16 | 122 | 7.63 | 0 | 1.5 | 11.1 |
| 68 | Air Force | 12 | 10 | 76 | 7.60 | 0 | 0.8 | 6.3 |
| 69 | Auburn | 11 | 15 | 113 | 7.53 | 0 | 1.4 | 10.3 |
| 70 | North Carolina State | 12 | 31 | 233 | 7.52 | 0 | 2.6 | 19.4 |
| 71 | Iowa | 11 | 14 | 105 | 7.50 | 0 | 1.3 | 9.5 |
| 72 | Tulsa | 13 | 29 | 216 | 7.45 | 1 | 2.2 | 16.6 |
| 73 | Akron | 11 | 21 | 155 | 7.38 | 0 | 1.9 | 14.1 |
| 74 | Florida Atlantic | 11 | 20 | 146 | 7.30 | 0 | 1.8 | 13.3 |
| 75 | BYU | 12 | 26 | 188 | 7.23 | 0 | 2.2 | 15.7 |
| 76 | Iowa State | 12 | 8 | 57 | 7.13 | 0 | 0.7 | 4.8 |
| 77 | Oregon State | 12 | 11 | 77 | 7.00 | 0 | 0.9 | 6.4 |
| 78 | East Carolina | 12 | 21 | 145 | 6.90 | 0 | 1.8 | 12.1 |
| 79 | Washington | 12 | 17 | 115 | 6.76 | 0 | 1.4 | 9.6 |
| 80 | Kansas | 11 | 8 | 54 | 6.75 | 0 | 0.7 | 4.9 |
| 81 | San Diego State | 12 | 14 | 94 | 6.71 | 0 | 1.2 | 7.8 |
| 82 | Southern Mississippi | 12 | 6 | 40 | 6.67 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.3 |
| 83 | Minnesota | 12 | 28 | 182 | 6.50 | 0 | 2.3 | 15.2 |
| 83 | Nebraska | 13 | 24 | 156 | 6.50 | 0 | 1.8 | 12.0 |
| 85 | Louisiana-Monroe | 13 | 23 | 149 | 6.48 | 0 | 1.8 | 11.5 |
| 86 | Cincinnati | 11 | 20 | 128 | 6.40 | 0 | 1.8 | 11.6 |
| 87 | UNLV | 12 | 14 | 89 | 6.36 | 0 | 1.2 | 7.4 |
| 88 | Navy | 12 | 10 | 63 | 6.30 | 0 | 0.8 | 5.3 |
| 89 | Miami (Florida) | 11 | 13 | 81 | 6.23 | 0 | 1.2 | 7.4 |
| 90 | USC | 13 | 26 | 158 | 6.08 | 1 | 2.0 | 12.2 |
| 91 | Penn State | 12 | 30 | 182 | 6.07 | 1 | 2.5 | 15.2 |
| 92 | Kentucky | 11 | 16 | 97 | 6.06 | 0 | 1.5 | 8.8 |
| 93 | Arkansas | 11 | 16 | 95 | 5.94 | 0 | 1.5 | 8.6 |
| 94 | Indiana | 11 | 14 | 83 | 5.93 | 0 | 1.3 | 7.5 |
| 95 | New Mexico | 12 | 14 | 82 | 5.86 | 0 | 1.2 | 6.8 |
| 96 | Kent State | 13 | 9 | 52 | 5.78 | 0 | 0.7 | 4.0 |
| 97 | Buffalo | 11 | 12 | 69 | 5.75 | 1 | 1.1 | 6.3 |
| 98 | Colorado | 11 | 13 | 73 | 5.62 | 0 | 1.2 | 6.6 |
| 99 | Mississippi | 12 | 21 | 114 | 5.43 | 0 | 1.8 | 9.5 |
| 100 | Army | 11 | 11 | 57 | 5.18 | 0 | 1.0 | 5.2 |
| 101 | Utah | 11 | 27 | 138 | 5.11 | 0 | 2.5 | 12.5 |
| 101 | Rice | 13 | 19 | 97 | 5.11 | 1 | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 103 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 12 | 16 | 80 | 5.00 | 1 | 1.3 | 6.7 |
| 104 | Arkansas State | 12 | 10 | 49 | 4.90 | 0 | 0.8 | 4.1 |
| 105 | Louisiana Tech | 12 | 28 | 132 | 4.71 | 0 | 2.3 | 11.0 |
| 106 | Louisville | 12 | 22 | 100 | 4.55 | 0 | 1.8 | 8.3 |
| 107 | South Florida | 11 | 15 | 66 | 4.40 | 0 | 1.4 | 6.0 |
| 108 | Eastern Michigan | 11 | 16 | 69 | 4.31 | 0 | 1.5 | 6.3 |
| 109 | Washington State | 11 | 10 | 41 | 4.10 | 0 | 0.9 | 3.7 |
| 110 | Syracuse | 12 | 26 | 102 | 3.92 | 0 | 2.2 | 8.5 |
| 110 | San Jose State | 12 | 13 | 51 | 3.92 | 0 | 1.1 | 4.3 |
| 112 | Clemson | 12 | 22 | 86 | 3.91 | 0 | 1.8 | 7.2 |
| 113 | Houston | 12 | 24 | 93 | 3.88 | 0 | 2.0 | 7.8 |
| 114 | Rutgers | 12 | 24 | 92 | 3.83 | 0 | 2.0 | 7.7 |
| 115 | Virginia | 11 | 21 | 80 | 3.81 | 0 | 1.9 | 7.3 |
| 116 | North Texas | 11 | 5 | 14 | 2.80 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.3 |
| 117 | Miami (Ohio) | 11 | 5 | 13 | 2.60 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.2 |
| 118 | Purdue | 12 | 16 | 38 | 2.38 | 0 | 1.3 | 3.2 |
| 119 | Notre Dame | 13 | 21 | 46 | 2.19 | 0 | 1.6 | 3.5 |
| 120 | Middle Tennessee | 11 | 15 | 28 | 1.87 | 0 | 1.4 | 2.5 |
| 121 | Idaho | 11 | 17 | 27 | 1.59 | 0 | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| 122 | Central Michigan | 12 | 10 | 13 | 1.30 | 0 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| 123 | New Mexico State | 11 | 12 | 15 | 1.25 | 0 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| 124 | Illinois | 11 | 13 | 9 | 0.69 | 0 | 1.2 | 0.8 |