The Hawai'i roster story
In 2016, 43 of 128 roster spots were filled by Hawaii players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 45 of 110 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 3 to 27.
Of the 27 players previously rostered elsewhere, 6 are from Hawaii.
The median hometown distance moved from 2,475 mi in 2016 to 1,212 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 | 35.5% | 36.0% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.8% | 16.4% |
The 2026 roster
- 1,641 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 98 located players.
- 48.1%In-state48.1% of players with a known home state are from Hawaii.
- 50.0%Backyard50.0% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 24.5%Previously rostered elsewhere24.5% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Hawai'i 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 Hawai'i's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 110 | 48.1% | 24.5% | 1,212 mi |
| 2025 | 113 | 44.9% | 17.7% | 2,402 mi |
| 2024 | 122 | 47.8% | 18.9% | 2,401 mi |
| 2023 | 118 | 45.8% | 18.6% | 2,447 mi |
| 2022 | 119 | 44.6% | 17.6% | 2,532 mi |
| 2021 | 117 | 38.3% | 9.4% | 2,573 mi |
| 2020 | 147 | 42.9% | 4.8% | 2,430 mi |
| 2019 | 122 | 44.3% | 3.3% | 2,409 mi |
| 2018 | 120 | 41.2% | 0.8% | 2,414 mi |
| 2017 | 128 | 35.8% | 2.3% | 2,479 mi |
| 2016 | 128 | 35.8% | 2.3% | 2,475 mi |
| 2015 | 116 | 33.6% | 2.6% | 2,474 mi |
| 2014 | 106 | 37.7% | 2.8% | 2,548 mi |
| 2013 | 111 | 41.4% | 0.9% | 2,507 mi |
| 2012 | 109 | 46.8% | 0.9% | 2,404 mi |
| 2011 | 116 | 50.0% | 0.9% | 1,310 mi |
| 2010 | 113 | 49.6% | 0.0% | 1,310 mi |
| 2009 | 115 | 55.7% | 0.0% | 165 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: 1,212 mi