2026 roster · Roster geography
The Iowa State roster story
In 2016, 37 of 122 roster spots were filled by Iowa players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 24 of 126 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 2 to 39.
In 2016 the median player grew up 517 mi from campus. Now it is 309 mi.
Of the 39 players who came from another college, 1 is from Iowa. Those home-state players make up 3% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.
The record reaches back to 1991, when 45% of the roster came from Iowa. Today it is 20%.
Then → now
2016–18 compared with 2021–25
- Local-developed core
- Transfer stock
| Measure | 2016–18 | 2021–25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local-developed core | 30.3% | 36.5% | |
| Transfer stock | 2.8% | 3.7% |
The roster, at a glance
- 539 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 122 located players.
- 19.8%In-state19.8% of the roster is from Iowa.
- 12.3%Backyard12.3% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 31.0%Detected transfers31.0% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.
Across the FBS
Where Iowa State 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: 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.
Where do Iowa State's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Transfer signal | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 126 | 19.8% | 31.0% | 309 mi |
| 2025 | 121 | 36.4% | 5.8% | 251 mi |
| 2024 | 133 | 38.3% | 5.3% | 210 mi |
| 2023 | 132 | 36.4% | 3.8% | 210 mi |
| 2022 | 128 | 36.7% | 1.6% | 207 mi |
| 2021 | 133 | 36.1% | 2.3% | 274 mi |
| 2020 | 134 | 38.8% | 1.5% | 223 mi |
| 2019 | 130 | 34.6% | 3.1% | 283 mi |
| 2018 | 110 | 32.7% | 1.8% | 426 mi |
| 2017 | 118 | 28.8% | 5.1% | 517 mi |
| 2016 | 122 | 30.3% | 1.6% | 517 mi |
| 2015 | 132 | 33.6% | 0.8% | 498 mi |
| 2014 | 130 | 36.7% | 0.8% | 434 mi |
| 2013 | 134 | 44.3% | 0.7% | 296 mi |
| 2012 | 136 | 45.5% | 0.0% | 218 mi |
| 2011 | 129 | 41.1% | 0.0% | 303 mi |
| 2010 | 116 | 37.1% | 0.0% | 357 mi |
| 2009 | 108 | 38.0% | 0.9% | 309 mi |
| 2008‡ | 32 | 34.8% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 26 | 40.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 23 | 50.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 30 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 30 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 123 | 53.7% | 0.0% proxy | 135 mi |
| 2002archive | 129 | 48.4% | 0.0% proxy | 155 mi |
| 2001archive | 123 | 45.1% | 0.0% proxy | 173 mi |
| 2000archive | 126 | 50.4% | 0.0% proxy | 163 mi |
| 1999archive | 113 | 45.5% | 5.3% proxy | 201 mi |
| 1998archive | 111 | 42.7% | 0.0% proxy | 207 mi |
| 1997archive | 121 | 46.3% | 0.0% proxy | 171 mi |
| 1996archive | 114 | 39.8% | 5.3% proxy | 272 mi |
| 1995archive | 102 | 37.4% | 6.9% proxy | 283 mi |
| 1994archive | 105 | 37.3% | 6.7% proxy | 178 mi |
| 1993archive | 111 | 46.4% | 8.1% proxy | 141 mi |
| 1992archive | 119 | 44.1% | 10.9% proxy | 138 mi |
| 1991archive | 86 | 45.3% | 3.5% proxy | 135 mi |
‡ 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.
Homecoming Radius: 309 mi
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