Max OlsonFeb 24, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseCovers the Big 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the University of NebraskaFollow on XMultiple Authors
Touchdown! Nate Frazier scores vs. Mississippi State (0:35)Touchdown! Nate Frazier scores vs. Mississippi State (0:35)
In college football’s evolving world of roster management and NIL, it’s not easy (or cheap) to keep your best players in your program. The big portal pickups get the headlines, but a coaching staff’s ability to get impact players re-signed to return for another year is becoming more important than ever in this new revenue-sharing era.
Whether it’s keeping valuable players out of the NFL draft or out of the transfer portal, the roster retention wins that college coaches and front offices achieve in December and January play a major role in their success going forward.
The proof is in the trophies. The past three teams to win CFP national championships — Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan — all managed to convince veteran leaders and starters to re-up for a title run. The cost to retain top players keeps rising, but the payoff can be massive.
Now that the NFL draft deadline has passed and more than 3,200 FBS scholarship players have made moves in the transfer portal, here’s a look at key players each Way-Too-Early Top 25 team managed to bring back for the 2026 season.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound pass rusher bypassed the draft to return as a fifth-year senior and prove he can keep developing into one of the Big Ten’s best. Jackson moved into the starting lineup in 2025 and produced 32 pressures, 11 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and two pass breakups for the Buckeyes. His return was a much-needed win for this defensive front with Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald moving on to the NFL.
The Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Year passed on testing his luck in the NFL draft to return and chase a CFP bid in his senior season. Martin rushed for a conference-leading 1,305 yards, had 36 catches for 255 receiving yards and scored 12 touchdowns while helping the Cougars go all the way to the Big 12 title game. He’ll have an opportunity to boost his draft stock and make a run at BYU’s all-time rushing record in his final year in Provo.
The Arkansas transfer was a revelation for the Sooners in 2025, finishing third in the SEC in receiving yards with 965 yards and eight TDs on 67 receptions as a go-to target for John Mateer and gaining 318 yards as a punt returner. Oklahoma getting Sategna re-signed to keep him out of the draft and the portal was a key win, as was getting edge rusher Adepoju Adebawore back on board after he briefly entered his name in the portal.
It’s time for Maiava to make the leap and become Lincoln Riley’s next Heisman Trophy contender. He’s returning as a fifth-year senior determined to keep developing into a first-round pick after putting up 3,868 total yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and finishing with the top QBR (91.2) in the FBS in 2025. He’s a 28-game starter between his time at UNLV and USC and still has plenty of talent around him even with star wideouts Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane heading to the NFL.
Brown entered his name in the transfer portal but continued to negotiate with Louisville and eventually got a deal done that will make him one of the highest-paid backs in the country. The Cardinals scored a big win as schools including Texas, Miami and Notre Dame pushed to land the speedster. Brown has rushed for 2,057 yards and scored 19 touchdowns over his first two college seasons and should compete for All-America recognition as a junior.
Carter returned to the Vols after exploring all his options for 2026. The second-team All-SEC selection declared for the NFL draft in early December, then entered his name in the transfer portal in January before deciding to stay in Knoxville for his senior season. He’ll have an opportunity to be a three-year starter for the Vols and boost his draft stock with another strong season after producing 76 tackles, six TFLs and 1.5 sacks in 2025.
The Utes lost a bunch of playmakers on defense this offseason with John Henry Daley, Smith Snowden and Tao Johnson hitting the portal amid the program’s coaching change, and Lander Barton and Logan Fano going pro. That made it even more important for Utah to get Bennee re-signed after his standout sophomore season. The former walk-on put up 64 tackles and four interceptions (including a pick-six) last season while also playing 50 snaps at wide receiver and blocking two kicks on special teams.
The Longhorns’ left tackle earned first-team All-SEC honors in his first year as a full-time starter and opted to stay in school with the hopes of becoming a first-round lock in the 2027 NFL draft. Goosby performed admirably as a fill-in starter late in the year in 2024 and played at a high level when he took over for Kelvin Banks Jr. last season, allowing just one sack with the second-best pressure rate (1.5%) among all SEC starting tackles, according to ESPN Research. Goosby returning for his redshirt junior year was a critical win for Steve Sarkisian, Arch Manning and a Texas offensive line that needs to take a big step forward this year and added four transfers this offseason to bolster its depth.
There’s no doubt Notre Dame will have one of the top secondaries in the sport in 2026, with starters Leonard Moore, Christian Gray, Tae Johnson and Shuler all returning after helping the Irish rank fourth nationally in interceptions (21) in 2025. Shuler, a two-year starter and team captain, is back for his fourth year after recording 53 tackles, five pass breakups, two picks and two forced fumbles last season. Newly hired co-defensive coordinator Aaron Henry is inheriting an extremely experienced and talented collection of defensive backs.
This one was a close call for the Bulldogs during the January portal window, but Kirby Smart and his staff were successful in their efforts to convince Frazier to re-sign and return for 2026. The former top-100 recruit would have been one of the most coveted backs in the portal after putting up 947 rushing yards, 116 receiving yards and seven total TDs as a sophomore. Frazier ranked sixth among SEC backs in yards from scrimmage in his first year as a starter, earned third-team All-SEC honors and should be among the best in the conference at his position again as a junior.
Moore could have been the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL draft but wasn’t quite ready to make the leap to the pros after 20 collegiate starts over three years. Moore threw for 3,565 yards on 72% passing with 32 total TDs and 10 interceptions while leading Oregon to 13 wins and the CFP semifinals in his first season as the Ducks’ QB1. His decision to run it back with defensive linemen A’Mauri Washington, Teitum Tuioti, Bear Alexander and Evan Stewart all staying in school positions the Ducks to be a serious national championship contender again in Year 5 under coach Dan Lanning.
Pollock transferred from Mississippi State to Texas Tech last offseason and immediately proved to be one of the Big 12’s best cover men. The first-team All-Big 12 selection is coming back for his senior year after producing a team-high five interceptions plus 48 tackles and eight pass breakups for the defending conference champs. The Red Raiders getting Pollock, tight end Terrance Carter Jr. and left tackle Howard Sampson back for another year was critical, as was the retention of their trio of talented running backs.
Fletcher put it all together in 2025 with an All-ACC junior season, rushing for 507 of his 1,192 yards during the Hurricanes’ CFP run and punching in 14 touchdowns on the year. His strong finish in the postseason didn’t sway him in his plans to return for his senior year and try to help Miami go all the way. He’s an invaluable workhorse back and leader for the Hurricanes who will once again be complemented by a strong supporting cast of RBs with CharMar Brown and Jordan Lyle returning and Girard Pringle Jr. opting to stay after announcing plans to transfer.
The tug-of-war battle between Ole Miss and LSU for Lacy began as soon as coach Lane Kiffin left for Baton Rouge and officially ended Jan. 5 when the Rebels re-signed the star running back for 2026. The first-team All-SEC performer enjoyed a monster year after transferring in from Missouri with 1,744 total yards and 24 touchdowns and teamed with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to help turn Ole Miss into a legitimate national title contender. Now they’re both coming back for coach Pete Golding to try to build on last season’s run to the CFP semifinals.
The Aggies were able to re-sign a bunch of key starters on offense following their first CFP appearance, including quarterback Marcel Reed, running back Rueben Owens II, wide receiver Mario Craver and center Mark Nabou Jr. They had a lot of work to do on defense in reloading via the portal, so getting Ricks locked in for another year was a big deal. The former Alabama transfer is entering his third season as a starter and allowed catches on just 40% of targets last year with nine pass breakups and two TDs allowed, per ESPN Research.
We wrote when the LSU job opened that keeping Pickett, tight end Trey’Dez Green, linebacker Whit Weeks and running back Harlem Berry would be critical. All four are returning for 2026 under Kiffin. Pickett is a talented 6-foot-5 corner and former five-star recruit who earned three starts during his true freshman season and finished with 37 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks. The new staff convincing running back Caden Durham and offensive tackle Weston Davis to withdraw their names from the portal in January was a good win as well amid LSU’s efforts to build the No. 1-ranked transfer class.
Pieper opted to stay in school after a standout season with Iowa’s Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line and return for his redshirt junior year. Pieper started all 13 games at right guard for the Hawkeyes last year, grading out as the fifth-best starting guard in the FBS, according to Pro Football Focus, and is expected to take over the starting center role this season from Rimington Trophy winner Logan Jones. No matter what position he’s playing, Pieper was worthy of inclusion on ESPN’s Way-Too-Early All-America team.