Big 12 · Kansas · 2026 roster

Kansas Jayhawks football roster hometowns

Where are Kansas players from?

On the 2026 Kansas football roster, 27.4% of players with a known home state are from Kansas. The median listed hometown is 448 mi from campus (Homecoming Radius).

The 2026 snapshot was collected before the season. Sources and definitions

Players from Kansas with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 17% of roster spots in 2016 and 26% on the 2026 roster.

In 2016, 20 of 120 roster spots were filled by Kansas players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 29 of 113 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 4 to 37.

The median hometown distance moved from 560 mi in 2016 to 448 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 2000. Among players with a known home state, 31% were from Kansas, compared with 27% on the 2026 roster.

Before and during the portal era

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2514.6%19.1%4.5%21.0%
  • In-state, not rostered elsewhere
  • Previously rostered elsewhere
Measure2016–182021–25
In-state, not rostered elsewhere14.6%19.1%
Previously rostered elsewhere4.5%21.0%

The 2026 roster

  • 533 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 109 located players.
  • 27.4%In-state27.4% of players with a known home state are from Kansas.
  • 18.3%Backyard18.3% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 32.7%Previously rostered elsewhere32.7% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.

Where Kansas ranks

Most In-State#7727.4%Most Transfers#2832.7%Closest to Home#88533 miFarthest From Home#51533 miBiggest In-State Shift#7027.4%Most Backyard Players#7618.3%Fewest Transfers#11132.7%Biggest Transfer Shift#3132.7%

Homecoming Radius over time

The median hometown-to-campus distance, by season. The dotted line is the FBS median.

0200400600FBS median (250 mi)200020052010201620212026

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.

In-state, not rostered elsewhereOut-of-state, not rostered elsewhereOut-of-state, rostered elsewhere200920122016201920232026

Where do Kansas's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateRostered elsewhereRadius
202611327.4%32.7%448 mi
202511220.5%29.5%498 mi
202412525.8%18.4%428 mi
202311921.4%25.2%455 mi
202211620.9%21.6%447 mi
202112416.3%10.5%455 mi
202012223.1%3.3%455 mi
201911922.7%5.9%585 mi
201811214.3%6.3%629 mi
201712314.6%4.1%596 mi
201612017.5%3.3%560 mi
201513122.9%2.3%445 mi
201410121.0%3.0%435 mi
201310522.9%2.9%441 mi
201210825.9%3.7%436 mi
201111124.3%0.9%418 mi
201010618.9%1.9%424 mi
20099823.5%1.0%399 mi
2008‡2921.1%3.4%—
2007‡3425.0%0.0%—
2006‡2340.0%0.0%—
2005‡27—0.0%—
2004‡28—0.0%—
2003archive10030.6%0.0% proxy270 mi
2002archive9730.1%0.0% proxy270 mi
2001archive10636.9%0.0% proxy291 mi
2000archive11030.6%0.0% proxy354 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.

Kansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometownKansas player hometown

Homecoming Radius: 448 mi

This slider is exploratory. Rankings use fixed distance lenses.

More from Big 12

See all Big 12 teams