Program field guide · 2026

Mid-American · Ohio

Kent State

Golden Flashes

Kent State’s Ohio-developed core fell from 55 to 54 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

In 2016, 55 of 104 roster spots were filled by Ohio players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 54 of 111 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 0 to 14.

In 2016 the median player grew up 159 mi from campus. Now it is 162 mi.

Of the 14 players who came from another college, 5 are from Ohio. Those home-state players make up 36% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2543.8%31.7%1.3%17.3%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core43.8%31.7%
Transfer stock1.3%17.3%

The roster, at a glance

  • 254 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 106 located players.
  • 53.2%In-state53.2% of the roster is from Ohio.
  • 35.8%Backyard35.8% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 12.6%Detected transfers12.6% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where Kent State ranks

Most In-State#2153.2%Most Transfers#12312.6%Closest to Home#5254 miFarthest From Home#134254 miBiggest Localism Shift#8653.2%Most Backyard Players#2135.8%Fewest Transfers#1612.6%Biggest Transfer Shift#11412.6%

Homecoming Radius over time

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

050100150200250FBS median (250 mi)200920122016201920232026

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.

Local-developedLocal transferOutsider developedOutsider transfer200920122016201920232026

Where do Kent State's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202611153.2%12.6%162 mi
202510336.9%16.5%254 mi
202411540.7%21.7%167 mi
202310229.4%23.5%269 mi
202210130.0%14.9%255 mi
202111034.3%10.0%258 mi
202010532.7%5.7%265 mi
201910434.6%3.8%266 mi
201810035.0%3.0%274 mi
201711543.5%0.9%220 mi
201610452.9%0.0%159 mi
201510061.0%1.0%120 mi
20149966.7%1.0%120 mi
201310162.4%0.0%120 mi
201210659.4%0.9%120 mi
201110458.3%1.0%125 mi
201010444.2%1.0%200 mi
200910339.8%0.0%220 mi

Where the roster grew up

Every 2026 player's hometown, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.

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Homecoming Radius: 162 mi

(This slider is for exploring — leaderboards use the fixed lenses.)

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