Analyzing most experienced FBS teams heading into 2026

Yahoo Sports1h ago19 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Oklahoma is among the most experienced FBS teams heading into 2026, returning 55% of snaps from the 2025 season. Other top teams include Notre Dame, Brigham Young, and Georgia.

Key points

Oklahoma returns 55% of snaps from the 2025 season
Notre Dame leads with 66% of returning snaps
Oklahoma is expected to rank in the Top 20 for 2026
Only 13 teams return a greater percentage of snaps than Oklahoma
Other notable teams include Brigham Young and Georgia

OklahomaNotre DameBrigham YoungGeorgia

Analyzing most experienced FBS teams heading into 2026

Few teams in FBS have as much reason for optimism as Oklahoma.

And that's not just because the Sooners are expected to be good. In fact, the Sooners are expected to be good in large part because of just how much they have returning from their successful, albeit not perfect, 2025 season.

Only 13 teams return a greater percentage of snaps from their 2025 roster as Oklahoma, according to an analysis by CBS Sports. OU returns players who accounted for 55% of the snaps played last year, including 54% on offense and 57% on defense. Only six teams expected to rank inside the Top 20, as Oklahoma is expected to rank, return a greater percentage: Notre Dame is first (66%), Brigham Young is third (63%), Georgia is fifth (61%), Southern California is 10th (56%) and Ohio State is 11th (56%).

Of those teams, Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio State are the only ones who made the College Football Playoff in 2025. Notre Dame came close and college football analyst Josh Pate rated the Fighting Irish as his No. 1 team in the country following spring practice.

As much as doing well in the transfer portal can help a team's prospects for the upcoming season, returning a roster filled with experience at the school helps even more. Of the 25 teams in Pate's poll, only six ranked worse than 70th when it comes to returning snap percentages. Oklahoma, for example, expected to start just four or five players on either side of the ball who picked up via the most recent portal opening.

It all adds up to good vibes for Brent Venables and Co. going into Year Five.