Players from North Carolina with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 22% of roster spots in 2016 and 14% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 22 of 100 roster spots were filled by North Carolina players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 14 of 101 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 1 to 15.
The median hometown distance moved from 404 mi in 2016 to 434 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 | 17.6% | 18.2% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.7% | 6.1% |
The 2026 roster
- 744 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 97 located players.
- 13.9%In-state13.9% of players with a known home state are from North Carolina.
- 6.2%Backyard6.2% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 14.9%Previously rostered elsewhere14.9% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Duke 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 Duke's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 101 | 13.9% | 14.9% | 434 mi |
| 2025 | 103 | 18.6% | 6.8% | 417 mi |
| 2024 | 113 | 16.1% | 9.7% | 373 mi |
| 2023 | 109 | 21.3% | 4.6% | 346 mi |
| 2022 | 112 | 20.9% | 4.5% | 422 mi |
| 2021 | 107 | 18.1% | 4.7% | 396 mi |
| 2020 | 110 | 16.5% | 3.6% | 364 mi |
| 2019 | 111 | 19.8% | 0.9% | 346 mi |
| 2018 | 98 | 13.3% | 2.0% | 373 mi |
| 2017 | 97 | 17.5% | 2.1% | 364 mi |
| 2016 | 100 | 22.0% | 1.0% | 404 mi |
| 2015 | 109 | 22.0% | 0.9% | 383 mi |
| 2014 | 114 | 22.8% | 0.0% | 392 mi |
| 2013 | 114 | 24.6% | 0.0% | 367 mi |
| 2012 | 110 | 26.4% | 0.0% | 362 mi |
| 2011 | 130 | 23.8% | 0.0% | 361 mi |
| 2010 | 102 | 26.5% | 0.0% | 353 mi |
| 2009 | 96 | 19.8% | 0.0% | 377 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: 434 mi