College Football’s Top Returning Offenses for 2020

In College Football experience and talent are the necessary combination for successful seasons.  Now that we have released our Top 25 returning players at each offensive position we thought it would be a good time to look at what teams are returning the best offensive talent based on the rankings.  Below you will find the teams returning the most experienced talent.  This list does NOT include recruits or players who do not have significant sample size.  We are not considering players that are likely breakout candidates who have not yet played much and strictly limiting ourselves to returning players with experience.

In ranking these teams we looked at how the returning ranked players will fit together and help their offense produce.  Two key factors were given preference over just sheer numbers – positional value and star power.  Clearly, quarterback is the most valued position on offense and a team with an elite player at the position will usually be ranked higher. 

The value of star power also cannot be underestimated in college football.  There are very few players rated as great players (8 out of 10 rating) or better in our entire rankings (51 total out of 150 players).  That is only one third of the best returning offensive players in the country.  We recognize that there are a lot of above average to good players in the game, but very few that are truly elite.  An offense with five total players graded as 7 on our scale of 1 to 10 may be ranked below a team with a 9 QB, 9 OT, and an 8 WR.  These are the parameters we considered in compiling these rankings.

You can view the player rankings here.

#1. Ohio State (9 players ranked in Top 25)

The Buckeyes return Heisman candidate Justin Fields (#2 QB) at the most important position on the field.  Fields is one of only two players to be ranked a 10 and has a full season of experience under his belt.  Fields will have two premier targets to throw the ball to in Chris Olave (#7 WR) and rising young talent Garrett Wilson (#15 WR).  Olave is a great player whose perfection of the nuances of the position makes it look easy while Wilson is an All-American talent that just needs more opportunities. 

Trey Sermon (#9 RB) and Master Teague (#23 RB) may not be high end talents but both are very good backs.  The tight ends are not often featured in the offense by Jeremy Ruckert (#18 TE) has all the physical tools you could want and will be a solid player at the position.  On the line of scrimmage the line has three top 10 positional talents including guard Wyatt Davis, the best returning interior linemen in the nation.  Tackle Thayer Munford (#9 OT) and center Josh Myers (#5 G/C) are high end talents in their own right.

This offense has exceptional returning talent and is the only team in the country represented at each position.  If there is a front runner for best offense in 2020, the Buckeyes certainly fit the bill.

#2. Alabama (6 players ranked in Top 25)

Alabama returns some elite talent on offense and has four players ranked #3 at their position in RB Najee Harris, WR DeVonta Smith, OT Alex Leatherwood, and OG Deonte Brown.  We have Smith, Leatherwood, and Brown rated as elite players (9 out of 10).  That elite talent is joined by two other highly rated players in Jaylen Waddle (#14 WR) and Landon Dickerson (#12 G/C). 

Both Najee Harris and Landon Dickerson received an 8 of 10 and are great players.  Waddle has limitation due to his size but his speed and explosive ability are second to none.  If Waddle produces in what should be a larger role in 2020 he could move up this list. 

The Crimson Tide return a trio players with high end talent on the offensive line and truly dynamic duo at WR.  With a true horse in the backfield in Harris there is plenty to like about this offense in 2020.  We debated whether QB Mac Jones should be on this list, but ultimately need to see a larger sample size.  There is a possibility that freshman Bryce Young could challenge him for immediate playing time as we highlighted in our freshman spotlight.

#3 Clemson Tigers (4 players ranked in Top 25)

There are teams below Clemson on this list that had more overall players in our rankings but the Tigers get the nod due to some serious star power.  It starts with Heisman candidate Trevor Lawrence (#1 QB) who is one of only four offensive players to receive a perfect 10 rating.  Lawrence has big game experience to go along with his elite physical traits and skill at the position.  Travis Etienne (#2 RB) joins him in the backfield to form the most talented backfield in the country.  Etienne is one of two running backs rated 9 out of 10 and is an elite playmaker in every sense of the word.

Joining them is Justyn Ross (#6 WR) who is one of the best pass catchers in the nation.  Ross received an 8 out of 10 at the position and gives the Tigers serious star power at the skill positions.  Clemson did not have a star studded offensive line last year (the unit was plenty good regardless) but there is one returning in Jackson Carman (#5 OT).  Carman will be one of the best blind side protectors in the nation this season.

The Tigers aren’t returning a ton of experienced and proven talent on offense but are making it count.  This is an offense that has irreplaceable superstar talents at key positions and that is something you have to put a premium on in college football. 

#4. Minnesota Gophers (6 players ranked in Top 25)

It was close between Clemson and Minnesota for the number three ranking so don’t sleep on the Gophers star power.  Tanner Morgan (#7 QB) may not run the most complex offense, but he knows how to execute.  Morgan is the highest rated out of the “7 out of 10” group and is one of the best signal callers returning in 2020.  He is joined by a true superstar in Rashod Bateman (#2 WR) who is an elite talent on the perimeter.  Bateman is a physical freak who makes big time catches and has plenty of speed to burn.

The offensive line returns a trio of talents in Danielle Faalele (#16 OT), center John Michael Schmitz (#11 G/C), and guard Curtis Dunlap (#18 G/C).   Schmitz is the highest rated of the bunch at an 8 out of 10 while Faalele and Dunlap both received a rating of 7.  Mohamed Ibrahim (#24 RB) rounds out the returning talent and provides a solid threat in the backfield for the Gophers as evidenced by his big performances in the last two bowl games.

The Gophers have a very good quarterback, a solid running back, an elite receiver, and one of the better offensive line cores returning up front.  That makes for a very strong group of returning offensive talent.

#5. Georgia Bulldogs (4 players ranked in Top 25)

The Bulldogs are another team that returns only four players but is rated higher due to star power and positional value.   It all starts with the shot in the arm provided by Jamie Newman (#6 QB) who brings true dual threat ability to Athens (as we highlighted in our Transfer Spotlight here).  Newman is one of three quarterbacks rated an 8 out of 10 due to his elite tools and strong production.

The most talented player returning for Georgia is without a doubt George Pickens (#8 WR).  With the offense expected to open up, and with Newman’s propensity to hit deep shots, we expect to see Pickens make a ton of big plays in 2020.  Pickens is rated an 8 out of 10 and has the potential to move up as he perfects his craft.  Adding to the pass catching talent is transfer Tre McKitty (#13 TE).  McKitty is the highest rated 6 out of 10 at the position due to his impressive pass catching skills.  Center Trey Hill (#6 G/C) is one of the best at his position and should be the anchor for another strong Georgia offensive line this season.

Georgia ranks above some other teams as a result of the importance of strong quarterback play coupled with a borderline elite receiving target and offensive line anchor.  The pieces are in place at the right spots for the offense to produce and make Georgia fans forget the lackluster performance of the 2019 unit.

#6. North Carolina (5 players ranked in Top 25)

Mack Brown’s Tar Heels are next on the list and led by one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, Sam Howell (#3 QB).  Howell is the only quarterback to be rated a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 and one of the best passers in the country.  Howell has a excellent receiving options to throw to in Dyami Brown (#12 WR) and Dazz Newsome (#19 WR).  Brown is always a play away from breaking a big one and Newsome is one of the most precise route runners in the country.  Both players are rated 7 out of 10 and Brown is the highest rated player with that rating in the Top 25 WR list.

North Carolina is one of the few teams with two running backs ranked in the Top 25 as Javonte Williams (#18 RB) and Michael Carter (#19 RB) make the list.  Both are graded out as above average players but provide two productive options for the offense.

With an elite quarterback and strong skill position players around him, the Tar Heels should be one of the most explosive offenses in the nation.  We are concerned about the offensive line some, but if that unit can just get the job done then the surrounding talent should score plenty of points.

#7. Oklahoma (4 players ranked in Top 25)

The Sooners return the very talented Kennedy Brooks (#6 RB) who is the highest rated 7 in our rankings.  Brooks will make projected starter Spencer Rattler’s (a likely candidate to shoot up the QB rankings) life much easier with the productivity he brings to the backfield.  Charleston Rambo (#16 WR) will also return and provide another reliable skill position player for the Oklahoma offense lean on.  His return will help lessen the blow of losing Jadon Haselwood to injury this offseason.

Upfront the offense returns the highest rated center in our rankings, Creed Humphrey (#4 G/C).  Humphrey is an elite talent (9 out of 10 rating) that gives the Sooners’ offensive line experienced leadership at the most cerebral position in the trenches.   Also returning is tackle Adrian Ealy (#21 OT) who is a very good player in his own right (7 out of 10 rating).  With Ealy and Humphrey the Oklahoma offense has a strong base of high end talent along the offensive line for the 2020 offense.

This offense will go as far as Spencer Rattler takes them and this unit returns some of the nation’s best players around him.

#8. Notre Dame (6 players ranked in Top 25)

Notre Dame is the polar opposite of North Carolina in these rankings.  The Irish are the only team to return five offensive linemen ranked in the Top 25 but do not have a single skill position player ranked.  Football is a game that is won in the trenches and this offense returns tackles Liam Eichenberg (#17 OT) and Robert Hainey (#18 OT), guards Tommy Kraemer (#17 G/C) and Aaron Bank (#19 G/C), and center Jarrett Patterson (#24 G/C).  All five linemen are rated as “good players” (7 out of 10 rating) and continue the tradition of a strong offensive line play for Notre Dame.  There may not be an ultra-talented player in this group but as a whole this group is scary good.

Ian Book (#12 QB) returns as the signal caller and gives the Irish another player rated as a 7.  Book is somewhat limited physically and his production may dip due to the loss of some great skill position talent around him.  However, Book has a firm understanding of the offense and his success at Notre Dame is hard to ignore.

With five returning lineman making our rankings and one of the better options at quarterback this offense will be formidable in 2020.  How quickly the new faces at the skill positions step up will determine just how far this offense can go this season.

#9. Louisville (4 player in Top 25)

At quarterback Louisville returns Micale Cunningham (#20 QB) who is one of the best running threats in the nation.  Cunningham is an inconsistent passer but that did not slow this offense much in Scott Satterfield’s impressive first season.  The electrifying Tutu Atwell (#10 WR) is one of the most explosive playmakers in all of college football.  Despite his small stature Atwell is rated as an 8 out of 10 due to his rare ability to consistently make big plays.

Javion Hawkins (#7 RB) is a very good option at running back who has some big play ability of his own.  Hawkins is a very good player (7 out of 10 rating) that thrives in the stretch zone running scheme utilized by the Cardinals.  The skill talent is rounded out by a solid returning talent in Marshon Ford (#15 TE) who will continue to contribute in the Louisville offense in 2020.

There may not be high end returning talent on the offensive line but Satterfield’s staff did plenty of damage with only one star lineman this past season.  There is plenty of playmaking talent returning at the skill positions for this offense to be excellent once again.

#10. Kentucky (4 players in Top 25)

The Wildcats do not return a single skill position player on offense ranked in our Top 25 but make this list due to a fearsome group of offensive lineman.  Tackles Darian Kinnard (#6 OT) and Landon Young (#14 OT) are one of the best returning tackle duos in the country.  On the interior Kentucky returns center Drake Jackson (#7 G/C) and guard Luke Fortner (#22 G/C) to round out an impressive core of four players. 

Kinnard and Jackson are an rare company on our grading scale as both are rated 8 out of 10.  For some perspective, there are only 24 returning linemen rated 8 or better in the entire country.  There may not be five players ranked like Notre Dame has, but the high end talent in the trenches is certainly in Kentucky’s favor with Kinnard and Jackson.

Sure, this offense does not have a single skill position player returning in the rankings, but that should not be a cause for concern with this line.  This past season the offense was one dimensional (with converted WR Lynn Bowden playing QB) and still able to score enough points to win eight games.  With quarterback Terry Wilson returning from injury, the offense will have the protection it needs to exceed expectations in 2020.

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The Ohio State spring game 4-15-17 image taken by Paula R. Lively is licensed under CC BY 2.0.