2016 National Leaders Kickoff Returns - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Ret. | Yards | Avg. | TD | Ret./G | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Tech | 3 | 6 | 170 | 28.33 | 1 | 2.0 | 56.7 |
| 1 | Memphis | 2 | 12 | 327 | 27.25 | 1 | 6.0 | 163.5 |
| 1 | Oklahoma | 4 | 12 | 288 | 24.00 | 1 | 3.0 | 72.0 |
| 1 | Iowa State | 4 | 20 | 440 | 22.00 | 1 | 5.0 | 110.0 |
| 5 | Colorado State | 1 | 1 | 35 | 35.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 35.0 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 4 | 8 | 232 | 29.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 58.0 |
| 5 | Utah | 3 | 7 | 199 | 28.43 | 0 | 2.3 | 66.3 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 4 | 9 | 243 | 27.00 | 0 | 2.3 | 60.8 |
| 5 | Florida State | 5 | 17 | 456 | 26.82 | 0 | 3.4 | 91.2 |
| 5 | Colorado | 5 | 13 | 347 | 26.69 | 0 | 2.6 | 69.4 |
| 5 | Kansas State | 4 | 15 | 396 | 26.40 | 0 | 3.8 | 99.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | 5 | 15 | 392 | 26.13 | 0 | 3.0 | 78.4 |
| 5 | Georgia | 2 | 1 | 26 | 26.00 | 0 | 0.5 | 13.0 |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 4 | 10 | 253 | 25.30 | 0 | 2.5 | 63.3 |
| 5 | Arkansas State | 1 | 1 | 25 | 25.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 25.0 |
| 5 | Miami (Ohio) | 1 | 1 | 25 | 25.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 25.0 |
| 5 | BYU | 1 | 5 | 121 | 24.20 | 0 | 5.0 | 121.0 |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 3 | 12 | 290 | 24.17 | 0 | 4.0 | 96.7 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | 2 | 12 | 283 | 23.58 | 0 | 6.0 | 141.5 |
| 5 | Oregon State | 3 | 11 | 258 | 23.45 | 0 | 3.7 | 86.0 |
| 5 | Ohio | 1 | 5 | 115 | 23.00 | 0 | 5.0 | 115.0 |
| 5 | Northwestern | 6 | 12 | 275 | 22.92 | 0 | 2.0 | 45.8 |
| 5 | South Florida | 2 | 10 | 229 | 22.90 | 0 | 5.0 | 114.5 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 2 | 6 | 137 | 22.83 | 0 | 3.0 | 68.5 |
| 5 | UCLA | 3 | 11 | 251 | 22.82 | 0 | 3.7 | 83.7 |
| 5 | Ohio State | 6 | 15 | 340 | 22.67 | 0 | 2.5 | 56.7 |
| 5 | Duke | 3 | 15 | 339 | 22.60 | 0 | 5.0 | 113.0 |
| 5 | Florida | 4 | 10 | 225 | 22.50 | 0 | 2.5 | 56.3 |
| 5 | North Carolina State | 3 | 13 | 290 | 22.31 | 0 | 4.3 | 96.7 |
| 5 | Kentucky | 3 | 11 | 245 | 22.27 | 0 | 3.7 | 81.7 |
| 5 | Miami (Florida) | 4 | 5 | 111 | 22.20 | 0 | 1.3 | 27.8 |
| 5 | Penn State | 7 | 28 | 620 | 22.14 | 0 | 4.0 | 88.6 |
| 5 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 7 | 154 | 22.00 | 0 | 7.0 | 154.0 |
| 5 | Rice | 1 | 2 | 44 | 22.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 44.0 |
| 5 | Wake Forest | 4 | 17 | 373 | 21.94 | 0 | 4.3 | 93.3 |
| 5 | East Carolina | 3 | 15 | 329 | 21.93 | 0 | 5.0 | 109.7 |
| 5 | Stanford | 3 | 9 | 197 | 21.89 | 0 | 3.0 | 65.7 |
| 5 | Clemson | 7 | 23 | 502 | 21.83 | 0 | 3.3 | 71.7 |
| 5 | Ball State | 1 | 6 | 129 | 21.50 | 0 | 6.0 | 129.0 |
| 5 | West Virginia | 2 | 6 | 129 | 21.50 | 0 | 3.0 | 64.5 |
| 5 | Michigan | 6 | 14 | 301 | 21.50 | 0 | 2.3 | 50.2 |
| 5 | Utah State | 1 | 2 | 43 | 21.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 43.0 |
| 5 | Buffalo | 1 | 4 | 85 | 21.25 | 0 | 4.0 | 85.0 |
| 5 | Northern Illinois | 2 | 13 | 274 | 21.08 | 0 | 6.5 | 137.0 |
| 5 | Texas | 3 | 14 | 294 | 21.00 | 0 | 4.7 | 98.0 |
| 5 | South Carolina | 3 | 12 | 252 | 21.00 | 0 | 4.0 | 84.0 |
| 5 | Mississippi | 4 | 15 | 313 | 20.87 | 0 | 3.8 | 78.3 |
| 5 | Syracuse | 6 | 45 | 933 | 20.73 | 0 | 7.5 | 155.5 |
| 5 | Illinois | 5 | 18 | 373 | 20.72 | 0 | 3.6 | 74.6 |
| 5 | Marshall | 2 | 14 | 290 | 20.71 | 0 | 7.0 | 145.0 |
| 5 | Washington | 4 | 10 | 207 | 20.70 | 0 | 2.5 | 51.8 |
| 5 | TCU | 3 | 12 | 248 | 20.67 | 0 | 4.0 | 82.7 |
| 5 | USC | 5 | 18 | 372 | 20.67 | 0 | 3.6 | 74.4 |
| 5 | Mississippi State | 3 | 7 | 144 | 20.57 | 0 | 2.3 | 48.0 |
| 5 | Maryland | 4 | 18 | 370 | 20.56 | 0 | 4.5 | 92.5 |
| 5 | Hawai'i | 1 | 6 | 123 | 20.50 | 0 | 6.0 | 123.0 |
| 5 | Fresno State | 1 | 5 | 102 | 20.40 | 0 | 5.0 | 102.0 |
| 5 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 3 | 61 | 20.33 | 0 | 3.0 | 61.0 |
| 5 | LSU | 5 | 7 | 142 | 20.29 | 0 | 1.4 | 28.4 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh | 4 | 10 | 202 | 20.20 | 0 | 2.5 | 50.5 |
| 5 | Alabama | 6 | 10 | 202 | 20.20 | 0 | 1.7 | 33.7 |
| 5 | Virginia | 3 | 11 | 222 | 20.18 | 0 | 3.7 | 74.0 |
| 5 | Louisiana-Monroe | 2 | 5 | 100 | 20.00 | 0 | 2.5 | 50.0 |
| 5 | Wyoming | 1 | 2 | 40 | 20.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 40.0 |
| 5 | Washington State | 3 | 10 | 197 | 19.70 | 0 | 3.3 | 65.7 |
| 5 | Missouri | 3 | 9 | 176 | 19.56 | 0 | 3.0 | 58.7 |
| 5 | Army | 1 | 2 | 39 | 19.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 39.0 |
| 5 | Arizona | 4 | 4 | 78 | 19.50 | 0 | 1.0 | 19.5 |
| 5 | Baylor | 3 | 12 | 227 | 18.92 | 0 | 4.0 | 75.7 |
| 5 | Indiana | 4 | 13 | 244 | 18.77 | 0 | 3.3 | 61.0 |
| 5 | Central Michigan | 2 | 11 | 206 | 18.73 | 0 | 5.5 | 103.0 |
| 5 | Michigan State | 4 | 11 | 205 | 18.64 | 0 | 2.8 | 51.3 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 4 | 7 | 130 | 18.57 | 0 | 1.8 | 32.5 |
| 5 | Charlotte | 2 | 18 | 330 | 18.33 | 0 | 9.0 | 165.0 |
| 5 | Idaho | 1 | 4 | 73 | 18.25 | 0 | 4.0 | 73.0 |
| 5 | Temple | 2 | 4 | 73 | 18.25 | 0 | 2.0 | 36.5 |
| 5 | Rutgers | 5 | 24 | 435 | 18.13 | 0 | 4.8 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Boston College | 4 | 18 | 325 | 18.06 | 0 | 4.5 | 81.3 |
| 5 | Arizona State | 3 | 11 | 196 | 17.82 | 0 | 3.7 | 65.3 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 7 | 11 | 196 | 17.82 | 0 | 1.6 | 28.0 |
| 5 | Oregon | 5 | 24 | 425 | 17.71 | 0 | 4.8 | 85.0 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 3 | 14 | 248 | 17.71 | 0 | 4.7 | 82.7 |
| 5 | Bowling Green | 1 | 6 | 106 | 17.67 | 0 | 6.0 | 106.0 |
| 5 | Arkansas | 5 | 15 | 264 | 17.60 | 0 | 3.0 | 52.8 |
| 5 | Purdue | 4 | 11 | 190 | 17.27 | 0 | 2.8 | 47.5 |
| 5 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 10 | 172 | 17.20 | 0 | 5.0 | 86.0 |
| 5 | Tulane | 1 | 5 | 86 | 17.20 | 0 | 5.0 | 86.0 |
| 5 | Auburn | 4 | 10 | 171 | 17.10 | 0 | 2.5 | 42.8 |
| 5 | Texas Tech | 3 | 10 | 170 | 17.00 | 0 | 3.3 | 56.7 |
| 5 | Southern Mississippi | 1 | 6 | 101 | 16.83 | 0 | 6.0 | 101.0 |
| 5 | UCF | 3 | 14 | 235 | 16.79 | 0 | 4.7 | 78.3 |
| 5 | Tulsa | 1 | 6 | 100 | 16.67 | 0 | 6.0 | 100.0 |
| 5 | SMU | 2 | 14 | 230 | 16.43 | 0 | 7.0 | 115.0 |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 3 | 10 | 163 | 16.30 | 0 | 3.3 | 54.3 |
| 5 | Navy | 2 | 8 | 130 | 16.25 | 0 | 4.0 | 65.0 |
| 5 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 6 | 97 | 16.17 | 0 | 6.0 | 97.0 |
| 5 | Louisville | 3 | 9 | 142 | 15.78 | 0 | 3.0 | 47.3 |
| 5 | Toledo | 1 | 7 | 110 | 15.71 | 0 | 7.0 | 110.0 |
| 5 | Kent State | 3 | 10 | 156 | 15.60 | 0 | 3.3 | 52.0 |
| 5 | California | 3 | 17 | 263 | 15.47 | 0 | 5.7 | 87.7 |
| 5 | Kansas | 3 | 12 | 184 | 15.33 | 0 | 4.0 | 61.3 |
| 5 | Akron | 2 | 7 | 107 | 15.29 | 0 | 3.5 | 53.5 |
| 5 | Houston | 2 | 4 | 60 | 15.00 | 0 | 2.0 | 30.0 |
| 5 | North Texas | 1 | 1 | 15 | 15.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 15.0 |
| 5 | Western Michigan | 1 | 1 | 15 | 15.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 15.0 |
| 5 | Troy | 1 | 1 | 14 | 14.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 14.0 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 1 | 2 | 27 | 13.50 | 0 | 2.0 | 27.0 |
| 5 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 2 | 16 | 8.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| 5 | Georgia State | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.00 | 0 | 1.0 | 7.0 |