Players from Arizona with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 31% of roster spots in 2016 and 18% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 37 of 118 roster spots were filled by Arizona players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 19 of 103 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 3 to 28.
Of the 28 players previously rostered elsewhere, 6 are from Arizona.
The median hometown distance moved from 413 mi in 2016 to 545 mi 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 | 30.1% | 20.4% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 2.3% | 21.0% |
The 2026 roster
- 736 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 98 located players.
- 24.3%In-state24.3% of players with a known home state are from Arizona.
- 14.3%Backyard14.3% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 27.2%Previously rostered elsewhere27.2% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Arizona 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 Arizona's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 103 | 24.3% | 27.2% | 545 mi |
| 2025 | 111 | 26.1% | 25.2% | 558 mi |
| 2024 | 109 | 25.9% | 24.8% | 436 mi |
| 2023 | 110 | 25.9% | 18.2% | 428 mi |
| 2022 | 110 | 25.0% | 17.3% | 433 mi |
| 2021 | 113 | 28.4% | 19.5% | 440 mi |
| 2020 | 121 | 25.4% | 4.1% | 440 mi |
| 2019 | 116 | 25.4% | 1.7% | 433 mi |
| 2018 | 112 | 26.8% | 3.6% | 429 mi |
| 2017 | 124 | 33.1% | 0.8% | 400 mi |
| 2016 | 118 | 31.4% | 2.5% | 413 mi |
| 2015 | 125 | 35.2% | 2.4% | 440 mi |
| 2014 | 123 | 32.5% | 2.4% | 433 mi |
| 2013 | 121 | 28.1% | 1.7% | 425 mi |
| 2012 | 112 | 25.0% | 0.0% | 439 mi |
| 2011 | 106 | 20.8% | 1.9% | 445 mi |
| 2010 | 104 | 17.3% | 1.0% | 459 mi |
| 2009 | 104 | 13.5% | 1.0% | 605 mi |
In-state shares use players with a known home state. Radius uses located hometowns.
Where the roster grew up
Located hometowns on the 2026 roster, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.
Homecoming Radius: 545 mi