Players from Minnesota with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 31% of roster spots in 2016 and 19% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 34 of 108 roster spots were filled by Minnesota players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 21 of 113 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 1 to 22.
The median hometown distance moved from 344 mi in 2016 to 627 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1990. Among players with a known home state, 43% were from Minnesota, compared with 19% 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 | 34.8% | 26.0% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.3% | 12.9% |
The 2026 roster
- 647 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 105 located players.
- 19.5%In-state19.5% of players with a known home state are from Minnesota.
- 16.2%Backyard16.2% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 19.5%Previously rostered elsewhere19.5% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Minnesota 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 Minnesota's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 113 | 19.5% | 19.5% | 627 mi |
| 2025 | 110 | 25.5% | 21.8% | 505 mi |
| 2024 | 115 | 31.6% | 13.0% | 337 mi |
| 2023 | 115 | 29.8% | 12.2% | 340 mi |
| 2022 | 109 | 24.1% | 10.1% | 412 mi |
| 2021 | 119 | 26.5% | 7.6% | 415 mi |
| 2020 | 124 | 33.6% | 4.0% | 366 mi |
| 2019 | 122 | 33.6% | 4.9% | 380 mi |
| 2018 | 99 | 34.7% | 2.0% | 362 mi |
| 2017 | 96 | 38.5% | 1.0% | 330 mi |
| 2016 | 108 | 31.5% | 0.9% | 344 mi |
| 2015 | 119 | 33.9% | 0.0% | 337 mi |
| 2014 | 126 | 33.6% | 0.0% | 343 mi |
| 2013 | 123 | 35.2% | 0.0% | 353 mi |
| 2012 | 123 | 35.5% | 0.0% | 353 mi |
| 2011 | 118 | 37.3% | 0.8% | 323 mi |
| 2010 | 106 | 34.0% | 0.9% | 353 mi |
| 2009 | 102 | 41.6% | 1.0% | 320 mi |
| 2008‡ | 31 | 34.8% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 25 | 63.6% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 29 | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 29 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 24 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 99 | 38.5% | 7.1% proxy | 251 mi |
| 2002archive | 98 | 43.2% | 3.1% proxy | 241 mi |
| 2001archive | 97 | 39.1% | 7.2% proxy | 278 mi |
| 2000archive | 92 | 36.4% | 2.2% proxy | 284 mi |
| 1999archive | 99 | 41.7% | 1.0% proxy | 239 mi |
| 1998archive | 121 | 43.7% | 2.5% proxy | 225 mi |
| 1997archive‡ | 100 | 41.4% | 1.0% proxy | — |
| 1996archive | 106 | 41.0% | 0.0% proxy | — |
| 1995archive | 106 | 38.4% | 0.0% proxy | 302 mi |
| 1994archive | 104 | 37.9% | 0.0% proxy | 352 mi |
| 1993archive | 112 | 36.0% | 0.0% proxy | 293 mi |
| 1992archive | 107 | 35.8% | 0.0% proxy | 318 mi |
| 1991archive | 122 | 40.5% | 0.0% proxy | 250 mi |
| 1990archive | 110 | 42.7% | 0.0% proxy | 240 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: 627 mi