Mason Short has been a national prospect since his freshman year So when he stepped onto the Evans (Ga.) football field for the first time, his coaches knew they had something a little bit different on their hands.

Still, as a formality, Short started out on the JV side of the field.

“We knew he was special the moment he stepped on campus, pretty much. We could see what he did in spring ball as an incoming ninth grader. I remember the first day of spring ball, and we were on the practice field. I watched him take about two reps. At the beginning of practice, we said to all of the upcoming ninth graders, you’re going with JV,” Evans head coach Barrett Davis recalls. “I immediately changed that for him. I said, you go down there with the old guys. Watching him hold his own against a good group of seniors we had was pretty impressive.”

College football teams with a high number of returning starters from the previous season are often set up for success heading into the next campaign. While experience does not always translate to positive results, it can certainly help in pressure-packed situations. In the era of the transfer portal, roster reconstruction is seemingly more extensive than ever with movement all across the board. For now, rosters for the upcoming 2024 season are set with most of the programs across the nation currently holding spring practices.

But soon another wave of changes will take place when the spring transfer portal opens April 15. So, which power conference college football teams currently have the highest number of returning starters from 2023?

The number of returning starters for each team are determined using Pro Football Focus data. A player must have at least six starts from the 2023 season — conference title games, bowls and playoffs included. Offense, defense and special teams (kicker and punter) are factored into the total number of returning starters.

Virginia Tech has an opportunity to take another big step forward in Year 3 under coach Brent Pry. The Hokies could be a preseason top-25 team in 2024. A key reason behind that optimism in Blacksburg is the number of returning starters back from last season, which saw Virginia Tech post its first winning record in four years. Defensive line is really the only question mark for the Hokies as they look to upgrade the interior of their front. Basically the entire starting offense returns for Virginia Tech with breakout quarterback Kyron Drones leading that unit.

Oklahoma State has not always capitalized on rosters with a large number of returning starters from the previous season. Sometimes the hype is too high for the Cowboys. But after making a late charge to an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2023, the experienced Pokes are built to make another run at their first conference title since 2011. Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon headlines the long list of returning starters for Oklahoma State after a breakout campaign. The nation’s leading rusher is back in the saddle hoping to make the most of a veteran roster in 2024.