The Air Force roster story
In 2016, 9 of 141 roster spots were filled by Colorado players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 11 of 142 fit the same definition. Neither roster included a player previously rostered elsewhere.
The median hometown distance moved from 923 mi in 2016 to 807 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1960. Among players with a known home state, 3% were from Colorado, compared with 8% on the 2026 roster.
Before and during the portal era
2016–18 compared with 2021–25
- In-state, not rostered elsewhere
- Previously rostered elsewhere
| Measure | 2016–18 | 2021–25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state, not rostered elsewhere | 6.2% | 8.5% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 0.0% | 0.0% |
The 2026 roster
- 845 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 134 located players.
- 7.9%In-state7.9% of players with a known home state are from Colorado.
- 8.2%Backyard8.2% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 0.0%Previously rostered elsewhere0.0% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Air Force ranks
Homecoming Radius over time
The median hometown-to-campus distance, by season. The dotted line is the FBS median.
Roster composition over time
Where the in-state lens draws the line: home-state players with and without an earlier college roster, out-of-state players with and without one, and players with unknown geography. This chart begins where stable athlete IDs make transfer detection possible; the radius chart above carries the official-archive geography farther back.
Where do Air Force's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 142 | 7.9% | 0.0% | 807 mi |
| 2025 | 141 | 8.6% | 0.0% | 808 mi |
| 2024 | 129 | 8.0% | 0.0% | 905 mi |
| 2023 | 125 | 8.5% | 0.0% | 995 mi |
| 2022 | 115 | 10.2% | 0.0% | 926 mi |
| 2021 | 103 | 9.9% | 0.0% | 912 mi |
| 2020 | 86 | 5.9% | 0.0% | 831 mi |
| 2019 | 112 | 7.5% | 0.0% | 952 mi |
| 2018 | 142 | 6.4% | 0.0% | 937 mi |
| 2017 | 151 | 6.0% | 0.0% | 952 mi |
| 2016 | 141 | 6.4% | 0.0% | 923 mi |
| 2015 | 123 | 4.9% | 0.0% | 998 mi |
| 2014 | 98 | 6.1% | 0.0% | 861 mi |
| 2013 | 97 | 6.2% | 0.0% | 835 mi |
| 2012 | 86 | 3.5% | 0.0% | 898 mi |
| 2011 | 91 | 3.3% | 0.0% | 1,072 mi |
| 2010 | 99 | 3.1% | 0.0% | 1,082 mi |
| 2009 | 97 | 4.2% | 0.0% | 1,123 mi |
| 2008‡ | 32 | 6.3% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 27 | 25.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 31 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 26 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 30 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 81 | 11.1% | 1.2% proxy | 747 mi |
| 2002archive | 93 | 10.8% | 1.1% proxy | 748 mi |
| 2001archive | 86 | 9.4% | 1.2% proxy | 809 mi |
| 2000archive | 102 | 12.9% | 0.0% proxy | 843 mi |
| 1999archive | 89 | 15.9% | 0.0% proxy | 832 mi |
| 1998archive | 89 | 18.0% | 0.0% proxy | 842 mi |
| 1997archive | 94 | 14.9% | 0.0% proxy | 883 mi |
| 1996archive | 119 | 11.0% | 0.0% proxy | 894 mi |
| 1995archive | 131 | 9.4% | 0.0% proxy | 894 mi |
| 1994archive | 109 | 8.3% | 0.9% proxy | 834 mi |
| 1993archive | 90 | 12.2% | 1.1% proxy | 760 mi |
| 1992archive | 85 | 14.1% | 0.0% proxy | 833 mi |
| 1991archive | 82 | 14.6% | 1.2% proxy | 802 mi |
| 1990archive | 85 | 14.1% | 2.4% proxy | 872 mi |
| 1989archive | 79 | 5.1% | 1.3% proxy | 908 mi |
| 1988archive | 87 | 9.3% | 1.1% proxy | 913 mi |
| 1987archive | 87 | 5.7% | 1.1% proxy | 936 mi |
| 1986archive | 115 | 9.6% | 2.6% proxy | 936 mi |
| 1985archive | 93 | 9.7% | 2.2% proxy | 895 mi |
| 1984archive | 82 | 11.0% | 1.2% proxy | 828 mi |
| 1983archive | 73 | 6.8% | 2.7% proxy | 833 mi |
| 1982archive | 75 | 9.3% | 4.0% proxy | 833 mi |
| 1981archive | 81 | 4.9% | 6.2% proxy | 893 mi |
| 1980archive‡ | 68 | 6.1% | 8.8% proxy | 837 mi |
| 1979archive | 75 | 6.7% | 2.7% proxy | 819 mi |
| 1978archive | 73 | 11.1% | 0.0% proxy | 820 mi |
| 1977archive | 76 | 14.5% | 9.2% proxy | 802 mi |
| 1976archive‡ | 66 | 10.6% | 7.6% proxy | 823 mi |
| 1975archive‡ | 69 | 1.4% | 7.2% proxy | 806 mi |
| 1974archive‡ | 68 | 2.9% | 11.8% proxy | 818 mi |
| 1973archive‡ | 57 | 3.5% | 12.3% proxy | 804 mi |
| 1972archive‡ | 60 | 0.0% | 20.0% proxy | 906 mi |
| 1971archive‡ | 67 | 1.5% | 6.0% proxy | 893 mi |
| 1970archive‡ | 62 | 1.7% | 8.1% proxy | 850 mi |
| 1969archive‡ | 55 | 1.9% | 3.6% proxy | 801 mi |
| 1968archive‡ | 56 | 3.6% | 1.8% proxy | 821 mi |
| 1967archive‡ | 49 | 2.0% | 0.0% proxy | 920 mi |
| 1966archive‡ | 55 | 1.8% | 0.0% proxy | 916 mi |
| 1965archive‡ | 47 | 2.2% | 0.0% proxy | 916 mi |
| 1964archive‡ | 49 | 2.0% | 2.0% proxy | 925 mi |
| 1963archive‡ | 54 | 3.7% | 3.7% proxy | 908 mi |
| 1962archive‡ | 48 | 6.4% | 2.1% proxy | 917 mi |
| 1961archive‡ | 49 | 0.0% | 2.0% proxy | — |
| 1960archive | 79 | 2.6% | 1.3% proxy | 932 mi |
In-state shares use players with a known home state. Radius uses located hometowns.
‡ fewer than 70 roster rows or under 75% known home state. Treat with caution.
archive = official athletic-site roster. “Proxy” is the share listing a previous school where that field behaved like a transfer field; it is not the same measure as the share previously rostered elsewhere.
Where the roster grew up
Located hometowns on the 2026 roster, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.
Homecoming Radius: 807 mi