The Louisiana roster story
In 2016, 59 of 124 roster spots were filled by Louisiana players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 55 of 105 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 3 to 9.
Of the 9 players previously rostered elsewhere, 7 are from Louisiana.
The median hometown distance moved from 179 mi in 2016 to 119 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 | 47.8% | 53.1% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 4.4% | 9.2% |
The 2026 roster
- 182 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 100 located players.
- 60.2%In-state60.2% of players with a known home state are from Louisiana.
- 43.0%Backyard43.0% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 8.6%Previously rostered elsewhere8.6% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Louisiana 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 Louisiana's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 105 | 60.2% | 8.6% | 119 mi |
| 2025 | 108 | 54.4% | 9.3% | 123 mi |
| 2024 | 135 | 63.8% | 10.4% | 119 mi |
| 2023 | 136 | 62.3% | 6.6% | 119 mi |
| 2022 | 138 | 66.4% | 8.0% | 119 mi |
| 2021 | 135 | 58.0% | 11.9% | 125 mi |
| 2020 | 130 | 60.0% | 7.7% | 119 mi |
| 2019 | 139 | 58.3% | 6.5% | 119 mi |
| 2018 | 124 | 55.6% | 6.5% | 119 mi |
| 2017 | 117 | 43.6% | 4.3% | 185 mi |
| 2016 | 124 | 47.6% | 2.4% | 179 mi |
| 2015 | 120 | 55.0% | 1.7% | 159 mi |
| 2014 | 118 | 53.4% | 1.7% | 154 mi |
| 2013 | 115 | 59.1% | 3.5% | 121 mi |
| 2012 | 110 | 56.0% | 2.7% | 159 mi |
| 2011 | 113 | 53.2% | 1.8% | 149 mi |
| 2010 | 105 | 52.9% | 1.0% | 123 mi |
| 2009 | 106 | 58.1% | 0.0% | 119 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: 119 mi