Players from Michigan with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 30% of roster spots in 2016 and 18% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 35 of 117 roster spots were filled by Michigan players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 20 of 114 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 1 to 19.
Of the 19 players previously rostered elsewhere, 7 are from Michigan.
The median hometown distance moved from 216 mi in 2016 to 403 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1999. Among players with a known home state, 35% were from Michigan, compared with 24% 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 | 28.0% | 22.0% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.5% | 14.2% |
The 2026 roster
- 538 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 109 located players.
- 23.9%In-state23.9% of players with a known home state are from Michigan.
- 23.9%Backyard23.9% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 16.7%Previously rostered elsewhere16.7% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Eastern Michigan 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 Eastern Michigan's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 114 | 23.9% | 16.7% | 403 mi |
| 2025 | 113 | 19.8% | 20.4% | 414 mi |
| 2024 | 121 | 26.7% | 16.5% | 223 mi |
| 2023 | 115 | 25.5% | 13.9% | 223 mi |
| 2022 | 125 | 25.4% | 11.2% | 227 mi |
| 2021 | 124 | 26.7% | 8.9% | 218 mi |
| 2020 | 123 | 32.5% | 4.1% | 206 mi |
| 2019 | 130 | 29.9% | 2.3% | 204 mi |
| 2018 | 114 | 29.1% | 2.6% | 236 mi |
| 2017 | 115 | 28.6% | 0.9% | 238 mi |
| 2016 | 117 | 30.7% | 0.9% | 216 mi |
| 2015 | 109 | 33.9% | 0.0% | 216 mi |
| 2014 | 102 | 38.2% | 1.0% | 179 mi |
| 2013 | 101 | 34.7% | 0.0% | 203 mi |
| 2012 | 105 | 32.4% | 0.0% | 181 mi |
| 2011 | 98 | 32.7% | 0.0% | 206 mi |
| 2010 | 99 | 40.4% | 0.0% | 113 mi |
| 2009 | 94 | 42.6% | 0.0% | 109 mi |
| 2008‡ | 31 | 41.7% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 29 | 33.3% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 24 | 37.5% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 22 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 22 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 75 | 47.3% | 6.7% proxy | 115 mi |
| 2002archive | 87 | 63.9% | 8.0% proxy | 47 mi |
| 2001archive | 76 | 48.6% | 13.2% proxy | 132 mi |
| 2000archive | 77 | 36.0% | 11.7% proxy | 183 mi |
| 1999archive | 98 | 35.4% | 13.3% proxy | 161 mi |
In-state shares use players with a known home state. Radius uses located hometowns.
‡ 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 the share previously rostered elsewhere.
Where the roster grew up
Located hometowns on the 2026 roster, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.
Homecoming Radius: 403 mi