Program field guide · 2026

Big 12 · Utah

BYU

Cougars

BYU’s Utah-developed core grew from 43 to 53 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

The BYU roster story

In 2016, 43 of 126 roster spots were filled by Utah players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 53 of 117 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 5 to 18.

In 2016 the median player grew up 523 mi from campus. Now it is 239 mi.

Of the 18 players who came from another college, 5 are from Utah. Those home-state players make up 28% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

The record reaches back to 1946, when 100% of the roster came from Utah. Today it is 50%.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2535.7%44.5%4.5%13.2%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core35.7%44.5%
Transfer stock4.5%13.2%

The roster, at a glance

  • 445 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 114 located players.
  • 49.6%In-state49.6% of the roster is from Utah.
  • 48.2%Backyard48.2% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 15.4%Detected transfers15.4% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where BYU ranks

Homecoming Radius over time

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

0100200300400500FBS median (250 mi)194619621978199420102026

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-developedOutsider developedOutsider transfer200420082013201720222026

Where do BYU's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202611749.6%15.4%239 mi
202511551.3%18.3%105 mi
202412451.6%16.1%238 mi
202312150.8%18.2%241 mi
202212551.6%9.6%237 mi
202112550.0%4.0%239 mi
202012944.9%1.6%401 mi
201912446.0%4.8%344 mi
201812340.7%4.9%495 mi
201712735.4%4.7%540 mi
201612636.5%4.0%523 mi
201514542.1%0.7%488 mi
201414738.1%2.0%514 mi
201314936.9%0.7%513 mi
201214045.0%0.7%470 mi
201113743.8%0.0%443 mi
201013441.8%0.0%470 mi
200910346.1%0.0%241 mi
20083345.0%0.0%
20072850.0%0.0%
20063660.0%0.0%
20053350.0%0.0%
2004290.0%0.0%
2003archive128100.0%
2002archive124100.0%
2001archive11898.3%
2000archive11898.3%
1999archive11198.2%
1998archive11599.1%
1997archive11699.1%
1996archive116100.0%
1995archive11798.3%
1994archive12499.2%
1993archive107100.0%43.0% proxy
1992archive112100.0%25.9% proxy
1991archive10699.1%25.5% proxy
1990archive10699.1%23.6% proxy
1989archive12099.2%16.7% proxy
1988archive122100.0%14.8% proxy
1987archive99100.0%12.1% proxy
1986archive91100.0%9.9% proxy
1985archive98100.0%22.4% proxy
1984archive9298.9%41.3% proxy
1983archive10099.0%34.0% proxy
1982archive91100.0%33.0% proxy
1981archive108100.0%26.9% proxy
1980archive9598.9%26.3% proxy
1979archive100100.0%15.0% proxy
1978archive107100.0%14.0% proxy
1977archive10899.1%11.1% proxy
1976archive10399.0%9.7% proxy
1975archive9198.9%19.8% proxy
1974archive11499.1%29.8% proxy
1973archive80100.0%18.8% proxy
1972archive77100.0%40.3% proxy
1971archive60100.0%31.7% proxy
1970archive64100.0%37.5% proxy
1969archive66100.0%34.8% proxy
1968archive76100.0%27.6% proxy
1967archive69100.0%31.9% proxy
1966archive64100.0%51.6% proxy
1965archive63100.0%
1964archive40100.0%37.5% proxy
1963archive65100.0%12.3% proxy
1962archive63100.0%4.8% proxy
1961archive51100.0%2.0% proxy
1960archive49100.0%2.0% proxy
1959archive55100.0%3.6% proxy
1958archive59100.0%5.1% proxy
1957archive50100.0%2.0% proxy
1956archive47100.0%0.0% proxy
1955archive53100.0%3.8% proxy
1954archive43100.0%4.7% proxy
1953archive35100.0%5.7% proxy
1952archive50100.0%8.0% proxy
1951archive57100.0%3.5% proxy
1950archive44100.0%9.1% proxy
1949archive49100.0%18.4% proxy
1948archive55100.0%29.1% proxy
1947archive45100.0%
1946archive71100.0%

‡ 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 detected transfer stock.

Where the roster grew up

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

BYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometownBYU player hometown

Homecoming Radius: 239 mi

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

Keep exploring

More from Big 12

See all Big 12 teams