College football fans anxiously await Bill Connelly’s returning production numbers every offseason. They’re our first analytic into what each team is losing and returning on both sides of the ball.
With the rate of roster turnover in the modern era of college football, roster continuity is more important than ever. Of course, returning production isn’t always a good thing if the prior team was bad. Not all returning starters are created equal.
But when you have talent, as most SEC teams do, ranking near the top in returning production is typically a good sign.
Where does LSU football sit?
According to Connelly, LSU ranks No. 38 overall, returning 62% of its production. The Tigers offense returns 65%, 41st nationally. The defense sits at No. 51, returning 59% of its production.
Last year, LSU football’s offense ranked 84th in Connelly’s initial returning production metric after the Tigers lost Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas Jr. It showed as LSU struggled to find its footing on the offensive side of the ball at times.
This year, with Garrett Nussmeier returning at quarterback, the Tigers have continuity.
Connelly’s formula accounts for transfers, which reflects well on LSU as the Tigers signed the No. 1 ranked transfer portal class in the country.
Along with the return of Nussmeier, LSU’s offense returns leading wide receiver Aaron Anderson and running back Caden Durham, who surpassed the 1,000 total yard mark in 2024.
Full SEC returning production rankings
| SEC Rank | Team | Overall | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Texas A&M | 6 | 19 | 12 |
| 2. | Vanderbilt | 8 | 28 | 10 |
| 3. | Oklahoma | 10 | 6 | 46 |
| 4. | Florida | 18 | 36 | 25 |
| 5. | Auburn | 22 | 21 | 48 |
| 6. | Alabama | 35 | 46 | 37 |
| 7. | Mississippi State | 37 | 71 | 20 |
| 8. | LSU | 38 | 41 | 51 |
| 9. | Missouri | 51 | 100 | 5 |
| 10. | Kentucky | 52 | 48 | 61 |
| 11. | Tennessee | 58 | 87 | 22 |
| 12. | Arkansas | 64 | 39 | 88 |
| 13. | South Carolina | 71 | 40 | 99 |
| 14. | Texas | 103 | 126 | 44 |
| 15. | Georgia | 105 | 108 | 93 |
| 16. | Ole Miss | 113 | 111 | 104 |
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