Program field guide · 2026

Big 12 · Arizona

Arizona

Wildcats

Arizona’s Arizona-developed core fell from 37 to 19 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

The Arizona roster story

In 2016, 37 of 118 roster spots were filled by Arizona players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 19 of 103 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 3 to 28.

In 2016 the median player grew up 413 mi from campus. Now it is 545 mi.

Of the 28 players who came from another college, 6 are from Arizona. Those home-state players make up 21% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2530.1%20.4%2.3%21.0%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core30.1%20.4%
Transfer stock2.3%21.0%

The roster, at a glance

  • 736 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 98 located players.
  • 24.3%In-state24.3% of the roster is from Arizona.
  • 14.3%Backyard14.3% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 27.2%Detected transfers27.2% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where Arizona ranks

Homecoming Radius over time

The median hometown-to-campus distance, by season. The dotted line is the FBS median.

0200400600FBS median (250 mi)200920122016201920232026

Roster composition over time

Where the in-state lens draws the line: local-developed, local transfer, outsider developed, outsider transfer, and unknown. This chart begins where stable athlete IDs make transfer detection possible; the radius chart above carries the official-archive geography farther back.

Local-developedLocal transferOutsider developedOutsider transfer200920122016201920232026

Where do Arizona's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202610324.3%27.2%545 mi
202511126.1%25.2%558 mi
202410925.9%24.8%436 mi
202311025.9%18.2%428 mi
202211025.0%17.3%433 mi
202111328.4%19.5%440 mi
202012125.4%4.1%440 mi
201911625.4%1.7%433 mi
201811226.8%3.6%429 mi
201712433.1%0.8%400 mi
201611831.4%2.5%413 mi
201512535.2%2.4%440 mi
201412332.5%2.4%433 mi
201312128.1%1.7%425 mi
201211225.0%0.0%439 mi
201110620.8%1.9%445 mi
201010417.3%1.0%459 mi
200910413.5%1.0%605 mi

Where the roster grew up

Every 2026 player's hometown, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.

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Homecoming Radius: 545 mi

(This slider is for exploring — leaderboards use the fixed lenses.)

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