Program field guide · 2026

SEC · Kentucky

Kentucky

Wildcats

Kentucky’s Kentucky-developed core fell from 34 to 12 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

In 2016, 34 of 115 roster spots were filled by Kentucky players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 12 of 111 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 2 to 40.

In 2016 the median player grew up 234 mi from campus. Now it is 317 mi.

Of the 40 players who came from another college, 2 are from Kentucky. Those home-state players make up 5% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2525.1%23.9%1.8%17.2%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core25.1%23.9%
Transfer stock1.8%17.2%

The roster, at a glance

  • 458 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 102 located players.
  • 12.6%In-state12.6% of the roster is from Kentucky.
  • 17.6%Backyard17.6% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 36.0%Detected transfers36.0% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where Kentucky ranks

Most In-State#12312.6%Most Transfers#2036.0%Closest to Home#65458 miFarthest From Home#74458 miBiggest Localism Shift#5812.6%Most Backyard Players#8017.6%Fewest Transfers#11936.0%Biggest Transfer Shift#1436.0%

Homecoming Radius over time

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

0100200300FBS 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-developedOutsider developedOutsider transfer200920122016201920232026

Where do Kentucky's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202611112.6%36.0%317 mi
202511421.9%28.1%295 mi
202411427.4%21.9%280 mi
202311829.9%16.9%252 mi
202211727.0%11.1%271 mi
202112628.6%7.9%277 mi
202012624.1%4.8%295 mi
201911423.0%3.5%291 mi
201811623.7%0.9%283 mi
201711122.7%2.7%262 mi
201611529.6%1.7%234 mi
201510320.4%1.0%292 mi
201412332.8%0.8%234 mi
201311528.3%0.9%290 mi
201211029.6%0.0%250 mi
201111337.5%0.0%237 mi
201011434.2%0.0%250 mi
200911035.5%0.0%187 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: 317 mi

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

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