Program field guide · 2026

ACC · California

California

Golden Bears

California’s California-developed core fell from 83 to 34 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

In 2016, 83 of 122 roster spots were filled by California players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 34 of 103 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 3 to 42.

In 2016 the median player grew up 365 mi from campus. Now it is 638 mi.

Of the 42 players who came from another college, 8 are from California. Those home-state players make up 19% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2563.6%46.8%4.0%18.5%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core63.6%46.8%
Transfer stock4.0%18.5%

The roster, at a glance

  • 987 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 100 located players.
  • 40.8%In-state40.8% of the roster is from California.
  • 19.0%Backyard19.0% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 40.8%Detected transfers40.8% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where California ranks

Most In-State#4040.8%Most Transfers#940.8%Closest to Home#132987 miFarthest From Home#7987 miBiggest Localism Shift#1640.8%Most Backyard Players#7319.0%Fewest Transfers#13040.8%Biggest Transfer Shift#1040.8%

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 California's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202610340.8%40.8%638 mi
202511439.5%33.3%647 mi
202411645.2%25.0%535 mi
202311855.6%20.3%392 mi
202211457.0%8.8%381 mi
202111862.4%5.1%375 mi
202010768.2%4.7%359 mi
201911268.8%4.5%345 mi
201810363.4%5.8%366 mi
201711261.8%3.6%376 mi
201612270.0%2.5%365 mi
201514171.9%1.4%357 mi
201412474.0%0.8%347 mi
201312368.9%0.8%346 mi
201212465.0%0.8%357 mi
201111659.5%0.9%363 mi
201010958.7%0.0%355 mi
200910771.0%0.9%346 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: 638 mi

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

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