College Sports Statistics

Roster Quality Analysis

Roster quality metrics across all FBS teams: Returning Production (% of prior-year PPA returning), Experience Index (avg career games), and Roster Quality Index (RQI — composite score). Click any team for a full breakdown.

2025 figures are offseason projections based on current roster data

Roster Summary — 2025

Rank Team Conference Roster Quality Index ⓘ Returning Production % ⓘ Experience Index ⓘ Transfer Count Prior Year SER
1
Georgia Tech
ACC 0.73 81.1% 19.04 22 10.20
2
Texas A&M
SEC 0.73 75.3% 17.29 14 20.28
3
Penn State
Big Ten 0.72 56.5% 18.94 8 22.47
4
Georgia Southern
Sun Belt 0.72 92.2% 16.73 16 10.57
5
Indiana
Big Ten 0.71 25.1% 21.55 23 28.88
6
LSU
SEC 0.71 66.0% 18.76 18 16.07
7
SMU
ACC 0.71 50.1% 20.26 22 18.85
8
Liberty
Conference USA 0.70 99.6% 16.33 20 4.97
9
Boise State
Mountain West 0.69 57.9% 17.23 14 24.45
10
NC State
ACC 0.69 94.8% 17.34 16 0.64
11
Houston
Big 12 0.68 105.2% 17.76 30 -8.17
12
Baylor
Big 12 0.68 82.5% 17.35 22 6.01
13
BYU
Big 12 0.67 87.1% 14.96 13 13.84
14
Arizona State
Big 12 0.67 69.5% 17.90 16 10.39
15
Vanderbilt
SEC 0.67 85.9% 17.19 16 3.07
16
Kansas State
Big 12 0.67 69.0% 15.04 14 22.86
17
Navy
American Athletic 0.65 97.3% 11.79 0 17.76
18
Marshall
Sun Belt 0.65 100.4% 12.50 39 11.74
19
James Madison
Sun Belt 0.65 78.4% 15.10 25 13.38
20
Clemson
ACC 0.65 82.6% 14.09 5 15.29
21
Cincinnati
Big 12 0.64 79.4% 15.70 20 9.45
22
Louisville
ACC 0.63 46.4% 16.60 29 23.90
23
Western Michigan
Mid-American 0.63 99.9% 15.55 25 -4.15
24
Jacksonville State
Conference USA 0.62 84.3% 14.68 18 7.39
25
Oregon
Big Ten 0.62 18.7% 18.92 11 28.18
26
Pittsburgh
ACC 0.62 74.9% 15.55 15 8.53
27
Ohio State
Big Ten 0.61 30.8% 15.39 13 34.45
28
Notre Dame
FBS Independents 0.61 36.8% 14.50 8 34.52
29
Texas Tech
Big 12 0.61 58.9% 17.34 18 8.01
30
Iowa State
Big 12 0.61 58.4% 16.17 7 13.39
31
Louisiana
Sun Belt 0.61 57.2% 17.05 6 9.98
32
South Florida
— 0.61 99.9% 14.59 24 -5.01
33
UConn
— 0.60 68.0% 16.84 23 —
34
Alabama
SEC 0.60 43.3% 14.95 12 26.37
35
Iowa
Big Ten 0.60 48.8% 16.42 10 16.26
36
Illinois
Big Ten 0.59 52.5% 17.44 15 8.71
37
Northwestern
Big Ten 0.59 68.0% 17.38 13 -0.77
38
TCU
Big 12 0.59 60.6% 16.74 9 6.36
39
South Carolina
SEC 0.59 62.5% 14.26 17 15.97
40
UTSA
American Athletic 0.58 96.2% 12.36 16 —
41
Arkansas
SEC 0.58 36.1% 19.29 30 8.05
42
Georgia
SEC 0.58 37.4% 16.57 10 19.36
43
Temple
American Athletic 0.58 99.9% 14.38 20 -8.90
44
Old Dominion
Sun Belt 0.58 74.2% 15.15 9 3.25
45
Texas State
Sun Belt 0.58 92.7% 12.60 35 3.22
46
Sam Houston
— 0.58 90.1% 12.86 22 —
47
Coastal Carolina
Sun Belt 0.58 96.9% 13.00 26 -1.38
48
Virginia Tech
ACC 0.57 49.5% 16.24 26 12.57
49
Michigan State
Big Ten 0.57 68.7% 16.42 19 -1.05
50
Oklahoma
SEC 0.56 52.8% 15.57 19 11.38
51
Toledo
Mid-American 0.56 68.5% 15.65 20 0.34
52
Minnesota
Big Ten 0.55 44.2% 16.49 20 10.17
53
Texas
SEC 0.55 28.3% 16.42 12 19.73
54
Michigan
Big Ten 0.55 39.5% 17.30 15 8.85
55
Miami
ACC 0.54 12.5% 17.48 20 24.04
56
Buffalo
Mid-American 0.53 65.9% 13.89 9 5.81
57
Rutgers
Big Ten 0.53 67.4% 15.22 17 -1.22
58
Ole Miss
SEC 0.53 17.5% 16.22 31 24.61
59
Washington
Big Ten 0.53 42.4% 17.00 16 5.76
60
Florida
SEC 0.53 55.0% 14.70 7 8.09
61
Kansas
Big 12 0.53 41.0% 14.95 27 15.01
62
Southern Miss
— 0.52 52.3% 15.57 53 —
63
Rice
American Athletic 0.52 75.1% 13.61 17 -2.12
64
Boston College
ACC 0.51 62.0% 14.14 13 3.37
65
Wisconsin
Big Ten 0.51 40.2% 17.09 21 1.99
66
USC
Big Ten 0.50 36.8% 15.75 16 9.58
67
Nebraska
Big Ten 0.50 59.3% 14.43 16 1.67
68
Massachusetts
— 0.50 76.3% 11.65 30 —
69
Tennessee
SEC 0.50 22.1% 15.18 6 20.31
70
West Virginia
Big 12 0.50 26.1% 18.61 43 2.43
71
North Texas
American Athletic 0.50 56.3% 14.77 33 0.82
72
UL Monroe
— 0.49 78.2% 11.02 15 —
73
San José State
Mountain West 0.49 58.7% 14.03 12 1.34
74
San Diego State
Mountain West 0.49 80.3% 14.96 21 -16.43
75
Ohio
Mid-American 0.49 64.8% 11.92 16 6.50
76
Arizona
Big 12 0.49 56.1% 16.75 25 -10.01
77
UTEP
Conference USA 0.48 100.0% 11.24 23 -12.86
78
Northern Illinois
Mid-American 0.48 53.1% 13.20 9 6.85
79
UCF
Big 12 0.48 31.0% 17.10 34 2.28
80
East Carolina
American Athletic 0.48 50.6% 14.58 19 1.11
80
Army
American Athletic 0.48 25.2% 12.21 0 27.23
82
Duke
ACC 0.47 17.9% 17.86 8 5.84
83
Tulsa
American Athletic 0.47 99.0% 13.89 29 -25.77
84
UAB
American Athletic 0.47 72.7% 12.38 27 -3.08
85
Colorado
Big 12 0.47 7.3% 18.62 32 8.32
86
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA 0.47 99.0% 13.83 13 -26.33
87
Oklahoma State
Big 12 0.47 44.5% 16.16 31 -4.03
88
Missouri
SEC 0.46 20.1% 16.76 19 7.43
89
Hawai'i
Mountain West 0.46 45.9% 15.26 13 -1.77
90
Georgia State
Sun Belt 0.46 68.5% 13.84 25 -10.05
91
Utah State
Mountain West 0.45 63.1% 15.44 27 -14.63
92
Memphis
American Athletic 0.45 11.9% 18.12 36 4.22
93
Nevada
Mountain West 0.45 65.8% 13.11 19 -6.72
94
Virginia
ACC 0.45 28.0% 16.78 31 -0.54
95
Tulane
American Athletic 0.44 14.6% 14.81 32 15.36
96
Kentucky
SEC 0.43 27.0% 16.20 24 0.66
97
Western Kentucky
Conference USA 0.43 33.2% 15.45 37 -0.25
98
Arkansas State
Sun Belt 0.43 58.6% 15.34 32 -15.75
99
California
ACC 0.43 22.5% 15.48 35 4.95
100
Auburn
SEC 0.42 21.8% 15.82 19 3.44
101
Colorado State
Mountain West 0.42 50.4% 13.29 20 -3.21
102
Miami (OH)
Mid-American 0.42 48.0% 14.23 15 -6.10
103
Wyoming
Mountain West 0.42 77.4% 11.60 15 -12.44
104
Florida International
Conference USA 0.42 42.2% 14.10 24 -2.52
105
North Carolina
ACC 0.41 15.9% 15.62 35 4.75
106
Wake Forest
ACC 0.40 26.2% 16.30 34 -4.95
107
UNLV
Mountain West 0.40 15.2% 14.64 39 8.65
108
UCLA
Big Ten 0.40 21.9% 15.18 32 1.43
109
Washington State
Pac-12 0.38 24.9% 12.52 24 8.73
110
Syracuse
ACC 0.38 14.3% 15.27 16 2.73
111
Purdue
Big Ten 0.38 54.3% 14.92 46 -20.76
112
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA 0.38 54.3% 12.29 9 -9.20
113
Charlotte
American Athletic 0.37 23.8% 13.68 32 2.53
114
New Mexico State
Conference USA 0.36 55.5% 12.29 21 -12.19
115
Oregon State
Pac-12 0.36 52.2% 12.09 14 -9.52
116
Air Force
Mountain West 0.35 63.0% 9.83 0 -8.46
117
Mississippi State
SEC 0.35 41.6% 13.27 29 -11.19
118
Fresno State
Mountain West 0.35 17.2% 13.81 19 1.17
119
Florida State
ACC 0.34 13.1% 15.37 22 -5.28
119
South Alabama
Sun Belt 0.34 25.4% 12.36 18 0.77
121
App State
Sun Belt 0.34 14.1% 15.65 27 -7.21
122
Troy
Sun Belt 0.32 33.4% 12.19 17 -6.16
123
Utah
Big 12 0.32 14.0% 13.81 21 -2.28
124
Maryland
Big Ten 0.31 12.8% 12.59 13 3.27
125
Stanford
ACC 0.31 18.9% 15.30 15 -13.17
126
Kennesaw State
Conference USA 0.31 45.8% 12.77 27 -18.27
127
Central Michigan
Mid-American 0.31 10.3% 16.08 6 -12.16
128
New Mexico
Mountain West 0.29 12.5% 15.28 32 -12.47
129
Bowling Green
Mid-American 0.29 7.9% 12.27 21 3.67
130
Eastern Michigan
Mid-American 0.28 24.9% 11.31 15 -5.44
131
Akron
Mid-American 0.27 37.1% 10.63 20 -10.65
132
Florida Atlantic
American Athletic 0.22 20.8% 11.72 32 -14.84
133
Ball State
Mid-American 0.20 7.7% 13.38 24 -18.93
134
Kent State
Mid-American 0.04 11.3% 8.04 13 -25.92

Experience vs. Returning Production

Roster Quality Index Rankings

Top 25 shown — scroll to see all teams

Experience by Position Group

Top 25 shown — scroll to see all teams

How to Read These Metrics

Roster Quality Index (RQI)

The headline composite score. It combines returning production, roster experience, and the team's prior-year efficiency rating (SER) into a single number. A higher RQI means a team is entering the season with more experienced, proven contributors. There is no fixed scale — interpret it relative to other teams in the table.

Higher = Better prepared roster 2025 values are offseason projections
Returning Production %

The share of last season's PPA (Points Per Play Added) that is returning to the roster. PPA weights a player's contribution by actual on-field impact — a star receiver counts more than a backup who rarely touched the ball. This is different from simply counting returning starters.

70 %+ — High retention 50–70 % — Average < 50 % — Significant turnover
Experience Index (EPI)

The average number of career college games played per player on the roster. A true freshman entering with 0 career games pulls the number down; a senior who has played 40+ games pulls it up. This captures roster-wide depth of experience, not just the starters.

12 + games — Highly experienced 7–12 games — Average < 7 games — Young roster
Transfer Count

The number of transfer players currently on the roster. High transfer counts can indicate a team is reloading quickly via the portal rather than through recruiting and player development — which can produce high experience numbers even when returning production is low.

Prior Year SER

The team's Season Efficiency Rating from last season. This gives context to the returning production number: returning 70% of the production from an elite team (high SER) is very different from returning 70% from a bottom-10 team. Shown as a dash if the team has no prior-year SER on record.

Position Group Breakdown

Breaks experience down by unit (Skill Offense, Offensive Line, Defense, Special Teams). Note: Offensive Line data may show anomalous values in some seasons depending on how the source data classifies OL players — verify against the team's known roster if something looks off.

All roster data sourced from the CFBD API. 2025 figures are offseason projections based on current roster data and are updated as the roster changes.