Evaluating the Top 10 Groups of FBS Returning Starters in 2017

Not all groups of returning starters are created equal. Let’s break down the list of returning starters for each team to determine relative quality.

One of the ways that college football fanatics can manage to sustain themselves is by feasting on the various data compiled by Phil Steele every year. A few days ago, now that the period for declaring for the 2017 NFL Draft has passed, Steele released his annual list of returning starters on offense and defense for every FBS team.

The list always provides a great talking point. But it also tells an inexact story. Bringing back a large number of returning starters, after all, doesn’t mean much if those starters have never managed to perform or are less talented than the players that might replace them. So it might be wise to look at this number as a jumping-off point for evaluation rather than taking it at face value.

Thus we’ve calculated a new figure that takes into account several key variables to determine a value that evaluates the quality of returning starters rather than just the quantity. (You can see the methodology on the final slide along with a full ranking of FBS teams.)

Click ahead to see which 10 teams will field the highest quality of returning starters in 2017.