Ranking the Best Return Specialists in College Football in 2015

The importance of the return game can't be overstated. Field position is critical, especially in close games, and having a great return specialist can make all the difference. 

Which is why we're giving some special teams love to the top return men in college football. 

Rankings are based on kickoff and punt return stats—touchdowns, yards and return averages—from 2014, with extra emphasis on players who return both kickoffs and punts. 

Bonus: Washington WR John Ross III

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Had John Ross III not been ruled out for the 2015 season with a knee injury, he easily would have placed toward the top of this list. Instead, we'll give him his own category. Ross deserves recognition for what he's done and what he could do again, but he won't be able to show it off this season.

In 2014, Ross led all of college football with 938 kickoff return yards. He averaged just under 25 yards per return and scored two touchdowns. Those numbers earned Ross an honorable mention All-Pac-12 nod as a return specialist. 

9. Texas A&M WR Speedy Noil

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Freshman sensation Speedy Noil lived up to his name for Texas A&M in 2014, finishing third on the team in receiving yards (583) and touchdowns (five). To a similar extent, Noil had an impact in the return game.

The sophomore-to-be was used on both punt and kickoff returns, totaling 825 yards on nearly 20 yards per return. His 12 yards per punt return placed him ninth in the country. The only real knock on Noil here is that he didn't record any touchdowns. 

However, there's no denying Noil's speed, elusiveness and competitiveness, which makes him one of the most exciting players in college football. 

8. Pitt WR Tyler Boyd

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Pitt wide receiver Tyler Boyd is a one-man show in the passing game. Last season he accounted for essentially half of the Panthers passing yards and touchdowns. But Boyd is also a productive returner, even if his numbers are a little less eye-popping. 

Boyd didn't record any touchdowns last season returning punts and kickoffs, which hurts his ranking. However, he was good enough to see time doing both and averaged about 27 yards per kickoff return. In all, Boyd returned 32 kickoffs and punts for 604 yards. 

7. Cal WR Trevor Davis

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Cal wide receiver Trevor Davis didn't return a ton of kickoffs last season—only 13 attempts—but when he did touch the ball he was electric. 

Davis tallied 424 yards, which averaged out to just over 32 yards per return. That was second-best in the country behind UAB's J.J. Nelson. Davis also added two touchdowns on those 13 returns, which is a good percentage all things considered. 

More opportunities and perhaps some shared time in punt return would boost Davis' ranking, but a second-team preseason All-American nod from Sporting News is a nice accolade. 

6. Nebraska WR De'Mornay Pierson-El

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With the loss of receiver Kenny Bell, Nebraska's De'Mornay Pierson-El figures to have an even bigger role in the Cornhuskers offense in 2015. However, Pierson-El has already cemented himself as a legitimate return specialist. 

In '14, Pierson-El returned 34 punts for 596 yards and three touchdowns, both of which ranked at the top of the stat sheet in all of college football. Additionally, Pierson-El returned 10 kickoffs for 147 yards. 

To put up those types of numbers in the face of stampeding defenders is impressive. Pierson-El's first move is as good as anyone's in college football, which is why he's ranked so high. 

5. Marshall WR Deandre Reaves

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Marshall wide receiver Deandre Reaves wasn't a huge part of the Thundering Herd's prolific offense in 2014, but he made a huge impact on special teams. 

According to Reaves' school bio, the redshirt senior was "best in the nation on long returns (30 or more yards) with 10, and ranked tied for the FBS lead with five returns of 40 or more yards." Talk about flipping the field on kickoff returns. 

Though Reaves returned only one kickoff for a touchdown, his 931 yards was second in the country only to John Ross at Washington. 

4. USC CB Adoree' Jackson

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Adoree' Jackson did a little bit of everything for USC as a true freshman in 2014. That's what makes him so valuable to the Trojans. He has an incredible future as a cornerback, but he also showed off his speed as a return specialist. 

Jackson was used primarily for kickoff returns, bringing back 23 of them for 684 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also returned two punts for 12 yards. 

Jackson's breakaway speed is almost otherworldly. If he gets one little crease he's gone. And good luck trying to get an angle on him. 

3. Oklahoma RB Alex Ross

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It felt like Oklahoma running back Alex Ross averaged 40 yards per touch last season. As it turned out that exaggeration wasn't totally off base. 

The junior returned 23 kickoffs last season for 718 yards—an average of 31.22 yards per return, which was third in the country—and a pair of touchdowns. 

Leading running back Samaje Perine gets all the attention for the Sooners because of his outstanding freshman campaign, but Ross has carved out his niche as a great returner. With Oklahoma's running back depth chart loaded again this season, Ross might once again do the most damage on special teams.  

2. Georgia WR Isaiah McKenzie

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Isaiah McKenzie certainly showed up for the Bulldogs as a freshman in 2014, but it was mainly on special teams. The speedster tallied three special teams touchdowns last season, two of which were on punt returns. Per his school bio, that tied the program for the most touchdowns in those respective categories.  

Additionally, McKenzie's 12.11 yards per punt return ranked him eighth nationally. In all, McKenzie led Georgia with 30 kickoffs and punts returned. Whether he becomes a bigger part of the offense in '15 remains to be seen, but he's been a clutch return man. 

Though a hamstring injury hampered McKenzie in the spring, head coach Mark Richt said his receiver would be "perfectly fine" by June, per Seth Emerson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That's bad news for anyone trying to stop him.

1. Maryland DB Will Likely

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As far as returners go, Maryland defensive back William Likely was among the more active and productive players on special teams a year ago. The junior-to-be contributed heavily on both punt and kickoff returns, totaling 35 attempts between the two. 

As noted by Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com, who ranked the Terp defender as the No. 19 player in the Big Ten, Likely led the conference in kickoff returns with an average of 31 yards per attempt. That was fourth nationally. He also finished 13th nationally with 11 yards per punt return and recorded two total touchdowns. 

Likely led the Terps with six interceptions, but he proved he was a special teams monster as well. His mixture of returns and productivity is what earns him the top spot. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.