The list of NCAA major college football yearly punt and kickoff return leaders identifies the major college leaders for each season from 1939 to the present. It includes yearly leaders in four statistical categories: (1) total punt return yardage, and (2) yards per punt return, (3) total kickoff return yardage, and (4) yards per kickoff return. Prior to 1970, the NCAA determined the punt and kickoff return champions based on total yardage. Starting in 1970, the return champions were determined based on yards per return. Unless otherwise noted, return champions and yardage totals for the years 1939 to 2021 are taken from the NCAA's "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" publication.

Return leaders Key † = Winner of that year's Heisman Trophy Bold = Figure established an NCAA major college record

Season Player Punt return yards Player Punt return average Player Kick return yards Player Kick return average1939Bosh Pritchard(VMI)583Jackie Robinson(UCLA)20.0Nile Kinnick†(Iowa)377Nile Kinnick25.11940Junie Hovious(Ole Miss)498Jackie Robinson(UCLA)21.0Jack Emigh(Montana)395Bill Geyer(Colgate)27.01941Bill Geyer(Colgate)616Walt Slater(Tennessee)20.4Earl Ray(Wyoming)496Vern Lockard(Colorado)24.41942Billy Hillenbrand(Indiana)481Billy Hillenbrand(Indiana)20.9Frank Porto(California)483nana1943Marion Flanagan(Texas A&M)475Otto Graham(Northwestern)18.4Paul Copoulos(Marquette)384Paul Copoulos34.91944Joe Stuart(California)372Glenn Davis(Army)19.7Paul Copoulos337nana1945Jake Leicht(Oregon)395Jake Leicht14.1Al Dekdebrun321nana1946Harry Gilmer(Alabama)436Harold Griffin(Florida)20.1Forrest Hall(San Francisco)573Forrest Hall38.21947Lindy Berry(TCU)493Gene Derricotte(Michigan)24.8Doak Walker(SMU)387Skip Minisi(Penn)28.81948Lee Nalley(Vanderbilt)791George Sims(Baylor)25.0Bill Gregus(Wake Forest)503Jerry Williams(Washington St.)29.91949Lee Nalley(Vanderbilt)498Gene Evans(Wisconsin)21.8Johnny Subda(Nevada)444Billy Conn(Georgetown)31.11950Dave Waters(Wash. & Lee)445Lindy Hanson(Boston U.)22.5Chuck Hill(New Mexico)729Johnny Turco(Holy Cross)27.41951Tom Murphy(Holy Cross)533Bill Blackstock(Tennessee)25.9Chuck Hill(New Mexico)504Bob Mischak(Army)31.31952Horton Nesrsta(Rice)536Gil Reich(Kansas)17.2Curly Powell(VMI)517Larry Spencer(Wake Forest)42.21953Paul Giel(Minnesota)288Bobby Lee(New Mexico)19.4Max McGee(Tulane)371Carl Bolt(Wash. & Lee)27.11954Dicky Moegle(Rice)293Dicky Moegle19.5Art Luppino(Tulane)632George Marinkov(No. Carolina St.)35.81955Mike Sommer(Geo. Washington)330Ron Lind(Drake)19.5Sam Woolwine(VMI)471Jim Brown(Syracuse)32.01956Billy Stacy(Mississippi St.)290Ron Lind(Drake)19.1Sam Woolwine(VMI)503Paul Hornung(Notre Dame)31.01957Bobby Mulgado(Arizona St.)267Bobby Mulgado19.1Overton Curtis(Utah St.)695Overton Curtis(Utah St.)30.21958Howard Cook(Colorado)242Herb Hallas(Yale)23.4Sonny Randle(Virginia)506Marshall Starks(Illinois)26.31959Pervis Atkins(New Mexico St.)241Jacque MacKinnon(Colgate)17.5Don Perkins(New Mexico)520Don Perkins34.71960Lance Alworth(Arkansas)307Pat Fischer(Nebraska)21.2Bruce Samples(BYU)577Tom Hennessey(Holy Cross)33.41961Lance Alworth(Arkansas)336Tom Larscheid(Utah St.)23.4Dick Mooney(Idaho)494Paul Allen(BYU)40.11962Darrell Roberts(Utah St.)333Darrell Roberts20.8Donny Frederic(Wake Forest)660Larry Coyer(Marshall)30.21963Ken Hatfield(Arkansas)350Rickie Harris(Arizona)17.4Gary Wood(Cornell)618Gary Wood32.51964Ken Hatfield(Arkansas)518Ken Hatfield16.7Dan Bland(Mississippi St.)558Bob Baker(Cornell)35.11965Nick Rassas(Notre Dame)459Floyd Little(Syracuse)23.5Eric Crabtree(Pittsburgh)636Tom Barrington(Ohio St.)34.31966Vic Washington(Wyoming)443Don Bean(Houston)20.2Marcus Rhoden(Mississippi St.)572Frank Moore(Louisville)27.91967Mike Battle(USC)570George Hoey(Michigan)24.3Joe Casas(New Mexico)602Altie Taylor(Utah St.)31.91968Roger Wehrli(Missouri)478Rob Bordley(Princeton)20.5Mike Adamle(Northwestern)732Kerry Reardon(Iowa)32.11969Chris Farasopoulos(BYU)527George Hannen(Davidson)22.4Stan Brown(Purdue)698Chris FarasopoulosBYU32.21970 Steve Holden(Arizona St.)19.2 Stan Brown(Purdue)33.61971 Golden Richards(BYU)18.9 Paul Loughran(Temple)33.51972 Randy RhinoGeorgia Tech17.6 Larry WilliamsTexas Tech30.81973 Gary Hayman(Penn St.)19.2 Steve Odom(Utah)29.41974 John ProvostHoly Cross18.3 Anthony Davis(USC)42.51975 Donnie Ross(New Mexico St.)16.1 John Schultz(Maryland)31.01976 Henry Jenkins(Rutgers)15.0 Ira Matthews(Wisconsin)29.61977 Robert Woods(Grambling)25.4 Tony Ball(Chattanooga)36.41978 Ira MatthewsWisconsin16.9 Drew Hill(Georgia Tech)30.01979 Jeffrey Shockley(Tennessee St.)16.9 Stevie Nelson(Ball St.)31.41980 Scott WoernerGeorgia15.7 Mike Fox(San Diego St.)32.81981 Glen Young(Mississippi St.)16.2 Frank MinnifieldLouisville30.41982 Lionel James(Auburn)15.8 Carl Monroe(Utah)30.11983 Jim Sandusky(San Diego St.)19.0 Gizmo Williams(East Carolina)31.11984 Ricky Nattiel(Florida)15.7 Keith Henderson(Texas Tech)28.91985 Erroll Tucker(Utah)24.3 Erroll Tucker29.11986 Rod Smith(Nebraska)18.9 Terrance Roulhac(Clemson)331987 Alan Grant(Stanford)16.5 Barry Sanders(Oklahoma St.)31.61988 Deion Sanders(Florida St.)15.2 Raghib Ismail(Notre Dame)36.11989 Larry Hargrove(Ohio)18.2 Tony Smith(Southern Miss.)32.51990 Dave McCloughan(Colorado)16.4 Dale Carter(Tennessee)29.81991 Bo Campbell(Virginia Tech)18.2 Fred Montgomery(New Mexico St.)29.41992 Lee Gissendaner(Northwestern)21.8 Fred Montgomery(New Mexico St.)32.61993 Aaron Glenn(Texas A&M)19.9 Leeland McElroy(Texas A&M)39.31994 Steve Clay(Eastern Mich.)19.9 Eric Moulds(Mississippi St.)32.81995 James Dye(BYU)21.9 Robert Tate(Cincinnati)34.31996 Allen Rossum(Notre Dame)22.9 Tremain Mack(Miami-FL)39.51997 Tim Dwight(Iowa)19.3 Eric Booth(Southern Miss.)34.81998 David Allen(Kansas St.)22.1 Broderick McGrew(North Texas)32.61999 Dennis Northcutt(Arizona)19.0 James Williams(Marshall)32.92000 Aaron Lockett(Kansas St.)22.8 LaTarence Dunbar(TCU)33.72001 Roman Hollowell(Colorado)18.0 Chris Massey(Oklahoma St.)34.82002 Steve Suter (Maryland) 771 Dan Sheldon(Northern Ill.)22.7 Charles Pauley(San Jose St.)31.62003 Skyler Green(LSU)18.5 Michael Waddell(North Carolina)J. R. Reed(South Fla.)31.72004 Ted Ginn Jr.(Ohio St.)25.6 Justin Miller(Clemson)33.12005 Maurice Jones-Drew(UCLA) 28.5 Jonathan Stewart(Oregon)33.72006 DeSean Jackson(California)18.2 Marcus Thigpen(Indiana)30.12007 Kevin Robinson(Utah St.)18.9 A. J. Jefferson(Fresno St.)35.82008 Antonio Brown(Central Mich.)20.5 Travis Shelton(Temple)31.32009 Greg Reid(Florida St.)18.4 Ray Fisher(Indiana)37.42010 Shaky Smithson(Utah Sr.)19.1 Nick Williams(Connecticut)35.32011 Dustin Harris(Texas A&M)18.2 Isaiah Burse (Fresno State) 1,606 Raheem Mostert(Purdue)33.52012 Tramaine Thompson(Kansas St.)19.8 Quincy McDuffie(UCF)34.22013 Ryan Switzer(North Carolina)20.9 Kermit Whitfield(Florida State)36.42014 Tyler Lockett(Kansas State)19.8 J. J. Nelson(UAB)38.32015 Christian Kirk(Texas A&M) 24.4 Evan Berry(Tennessee) 38.32016 Christian Kirk(Texas A&M) 21.7 Kylen Towner(Western Kentucky) 40.32017 Dante Pettis(Washington) 20.4 Tony Pollard(Memphis) 40.0 2018 Marcus Hayes(New Mexico) 21.2 Savon Scarver(Utah State) 33.7 2019 Jaylen Waddle(Alabama) 24.4 Deion Hair-Griffin(North Texas) 40.8 2020 Marcus Jones(Houston) 19.8 De'Montre Tuggle(Ohio) 45.0 2021 Britain Covey (Utah) 427 Kalil Pimpleton (Central Michigan) 19.1 Alan Lamar (Arkansas State) 1,333 Zonovan Knight(NC State) 34.4 2022 Eric Garror (Louisiana) 392 Dee Williams (Tennessee) 18.7 Johnnie Lang (Arkansas State) 886 Liedeatrick Griffin (Mississippi State) 32.3 2023 Xavier Worthy (Texas) 371 Zachariah Branch (USC) 20.8 Zylan Perry (Louisiana) 862 Barion Brown (Kentucky) 36.0 2024 Kameron Shanks (UAB) 329 Josh Cameron (Baylor) 20.7 Kaden Wetjen (Iowa) 727 Jacquez Stuart (Toledo) 32.7 2025 Kaden Wetjen (Iowa) 563 Kaden Wetjen (Iowa) 26.8 Kole Wilson (Baylor) 705 Jadarian Price (Notre Dame) 37.5

See also List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders List of NCAA major college football yearly receiving leaders List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders List of NCAA major college football yearly sack leaders List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders

References