Players from Tennessee with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 19% of roster spots in 2016 and 33% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 21 of 110 roster spots were filled by Tennessee players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 35 of 107 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 3 to 21.
The median hometown distance moved from 216 mi in 2016 to 247 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1972. Among players with a known home state, 59% were from Tennessee, compared with 33% 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 | 25.9% | 29.1% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.5% | 14.4% |
The 2026 roster
- 421 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 103 located players.
- 32.7%In-state32.7% of players with a known home state are from Tennessee.
- 27.2%Backyard27.2% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 19.6%Previously rostered elsewhere19.6% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Middle Tennessee 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 Middle Tennessee's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 107 | 32.7% | 19.6% | 247 mi |
| 2025 | 113 | 36.3% | 19.5% | 206 mi |
| 2024 | 118 | 36.4% | 20.3% | 209 mi |
| 2023 | 116 | 32.8% | 16.4% | 213 mi |
| 2022 | 107 | 32.7% | 9.3% | 219 mi |
| 2021 | 108 | 22.6% | 6.5% | 260 mi |
| 2020 | 118 | 30.5% | 2.5% | 213 mi |
| 2019 | 115 | 31.3% | 2.6% | 207 mi |
| 2018 | 117 | 30.8% | 1.7% | 192 mi |
| 2017 | 118 | 28.0% | 0.0% | 213 mi |
| 2016 | 110 | 20.0% | 2.7% | 216 mi |
| 2015 | 115 | 26.1% | 0.9% | 213 mi |
| 2014 | 113 | 24.8% | 0.0% | 213 mi |
| 2013 | 105 | 24.8% | 0.0% | 208 mi |
| 2012 | 114 | 28.9% | 0.9% | 213 mi |
| 2011 | 117 | 26.5% | 0.9% | 243 mi |
| 2010 | 109 | 30.3% | 0.0% | 213 mi |
| 2009 | 99 | 26.5% | 1.0% | 247 mi |
| 2008‡ | 31 | 9.1% | 3.2% | — |
| 2007‡ | 32 | 16.7% | 3.1% | — |
| 2006‡ | 25 | 33.3% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 34 | 50.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 22 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 106 | 37.7% | 0.0% proxy | 189 mi |
| 2002archive | 94 | 26.9% | 0.0% proxy | 201 mi |
| 2001archive | 83 | 29.3% | 0.0% proxy | 191 mi |
| 2000archive | 99 | 33.7% | 0.0% proxy | 177 mi |
| 1999archive | 112 | 42.3% | 0.0% proxy | 173 mi |
| 1998archive | 95 | 37.6% | 0.0% proxy | 186 mi |
| 1997archive | 84 | 51.9% | 0.0% proxy | 154 mi |
| 1996archive | 93 | 56.2% | 0.0% proxy | 136 mi |
| 1995archive | 99 | 67.7% | 0.0% proxy | 105 mi |
| 1994archive | 98 | 69.8% | 0.0% proxy | 115 mi |
| 1993archive‡ | 52 | 65.2% | 0.0% proxy | 115 mi |
| 1992archive | 90 | 72.9% | 0.0% proxy | 113 mi |
| 1991archive | 103 | 61.4% | 0.0% proxy | 121 mi |
| 1990archive | 92 | 59.8% | 0.0% proxy | 134 mi |
| 1989archive | 101 | 56.1% | 0.0% proxy | 128 mi |
| 1988archive | 92 | 54.9% | 0.0% proxy | 144 mi |
| 1987archive | 99 | 53.1% | 0.0% proxy | 139 mi |
| 1986archive | 72 | 50.0% | 0.0% proxy | 162 mi |
| 1985archive | 76 | 55.3% | 0.0% proxy | 114 mi |
| 1984archive | 86 | 57.6% | 0.0% proxy | 85 mi |
| 1983archive | 79 | 51.3% | 0.0% proxy | 91 mi |
| 1982archive | 97 | 57.3% | 0.0% proxy | 96 mi |
| 1981archive | 90 | 57.3% | 0.0% proxy | 83 mi |
| 1980archive‡ | 39 | 59.5% | 0.0% proxy | 114 mi |
| 1979archive | 76 | 77.8% | 0.0% proxy | 91 mi |
| 1978archive‡ | 51 | 66.7% | 0.0% proxy | 135 mi |
| 1977archive‡ | 57 | 73.6% | 0.0% proxy | 83 mi |
| 1976archive‡ | 60 | 67.3% | 0.0% proxy | 83 mi |
| 1975archive‡ | 54 | 54.0% | 0.0% proxy | 134 mi |
| 1974archive‡ | 54 | 64.2% | 0.0% proxy | 117 mi |
| 1973archive‡ | 56 | 54.9% | 0.0% proxy | 134 mi |
| 1972archive | 70 | 58.6% | 0.0% proxy | 117 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.
Homecoming Radius: 247 mi