Your ideal punt / kick returner

[stevensa08]

So I am wrapping up my last 11 dynasty with Penn State, among the several dynasties played over the year. This dynasty and a lot of the other ones, I failed to return a kick off or punt return for a touchdown. Playing on heisman sliders, I maybe, at the most, have ran back 8 touchdowns, with 1 of those being a punt return (that one I do know) I tried using returners with high speed, high acceleration, high agility and high return attributes. I just couldnt find a good combo to get me in some good running lanes. I was curious to hear what type of returners everyone else try to use. Im hoping to have better luck in 12.

[The_Wise_One]

I like a returner with good acceleration. Gunners come down so fast that I gotta catch and get up to full speed in almost no time. They made it impossibly hard in 11

[jbrew2411]

The return game in NCAA 11 is impossible. The kicking team reacts to quickly. I could not find the right combo. I used high acc guys. I used good spd & acc guys. I used guys who were a 99ovr as a return man. I recruited guys who should have been return specialist. All failed to produce a game breaker in the return game. The return game is a huge part of college football. I just gave up on NCAA 11 by Christmas. I have never done that before. The game was broke when it shipped. I played without any patches and could on get a 9.7yd avg with a high of 28yds. That was with a guy who had 90's in spd & acc ratings. I don't know if it is worth the attempt.

[moylan1234]

Dyrell Roberts from virginia tech transferred to my tb team and was an absolute beast in the return game. I can't remember how many tds I got with him, but it was a lot. the rest of my team was garbage, but he just destroyed everyone for me.

[Arkavian]

I generally look for someone who is fast, has quick acceleration, has great agility and is under 6 foot.

Even if I have someone like that I still can't return many punts. Kick offs no problem, punts well it doesn't help that EA designed the return blocking to be non existent and anytime a lane is made for you a flag is flown.

I've literally watched my player catch the ball, and the blocker in front not even touch another player and a flag is thrown on the blocker for clipping or holding.

I hope they fixed this issue in '12.

[patsfan1993]

The best returner I have ever had is Luke Manning. He was the #1HB. 5ft 6in 165lbs. I don't remember his original numbers but as a senior he is a 99vr with 99 spd 98 acc 99 agi. His JR year I returned 7 punts and 2 kickoffs broke the career rushing record, and won the heisman. The only way I can get a punt return to set up is to pick punt block return and for kickoffs I always choose the one with only one returner back so it puts another blocker out in front.

So long story short I look for a small guy with high speed, high agility,and preferably high acceleration.

[Flipsyde82]

I didnt have any troubles with a good balance of speed and acc, just gotta set the lanes up, and it depends where they kick it...

[jello1717]

Most people have trouble returning punts. I have had some success with it as my return guy for the last 2 years has returned 6 punts for a TD in my Michigan dynasty. Here is what he did returning punts his first 3 years:

YR				Returns	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
2014 Season				49	345	7.04	18	0
2015 Season				45	515	11.44	88	2
2016 Season				54	701	12.98	79	4

The TDs were against Nebraska (2 in 1 game), Navy, Pitt, Oklahoma, and Penn State (IE. not against scrub teams with slow athletes).

He had 97-99 for SPD/AGI/ACC. All 3 are important ratings, but I'd say ACC is the most important. My current returner doesn't have crazy ratings like that, but he still has 94/90/92 SPD/ACC/AGI. His long on 13 returns is only 23 yards. Both of them are HBs. I always have HBs and WRs returning for me as I'm paranoid about muffs/fumbles.

SPD - Allows you to run away from guys (if you can get past them)
AGI - All of my TDs have had me cut back so AGI is important so you don't lose speed doing this.
ACC - This is what allows you to get past the first wave of defenders. If those guys get you, it doesn't matter how fast your guy is.

These are the relevant sliders that I use:

AA
slow speed
25 threshold
50 user running back ability
50 user run blocking
55 CPU rush defense
55 CPU tackling
60 CPU punt power
60 CPU punt accuracy

Here is how I return punts:

I call return middle and I'll control the left most guy on the line in the box. When it's snapped (not before or the punter will punt it out of bounds) I run him back to my return guy so I have 3 blockers around the returner. The 2 original blockers usually do a good job of blocking long enough for me to run to the outside of 1 of the 2 gunners. Then I read the lanes. If the middle is clogged, I'll just keep running upfield on the outside and take my 10ish yards. If there's a seam in the middle, I'll cut back to the inside, usually going all the way across the field and run it up the opposite sideline. All of my returns for TDs have been when I've cut it back to the opposite side.

Here are highlights of some of my returns. Note how they all have me cutting against the grain through a seam in the defense. Also note in some of the videos the nice backside blocking my teammates are giving me. Also note how he goes untouched (mostly) on all of the returns. It didn't require crazy stick skills (of which I have none) to break tackles. It just required a seam and for me to hit that seam.

88 yd TD against Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl
EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

79yd TD against Navy

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

71 yd TD against Nebraska

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video
The guy in the videos finished his career with 6 career PR TDs and 3 KR TDs. I've got a new kid on my team that's basically the same build and in 25 combined kick and punt returns he's returned 1 of each for a TD.