ACC · North Carolina · 2026 roster

NC State Wolfpack football roster hometowns

Where are NC State players from?

On the 2026 NC State football roster, 37.6% of players with a known home state are from North Carolina. The median listed hometown is 307 mi from campus (Homecoming Radius).

The 2026 snapshot was collected before the season. Sources and definitions

Players from North Carolina with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 56% of roster spots in 2016 and 35% on the 2026 roster.

In 2016, 62 of 111 roster spots were filled by North Carolina players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 44 of 125 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 2 to 25.

The median hometown distance moved from 126 mi in 2016 to 307 mi on the 2026 roster.

Before and during the portal era

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2555.4%53.3%1.8%10.4%
  • In-state, not rostered elsewhere
  • Previously rostered elsewhere
Measure2016–182021–25
In-state, not rostered elsewhere55.4%53.3%
Previously rostered elsewhere1.8%10.4%

The 2026 roster

  • 400 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 121 located players.
  • 37.6%In-state37.6% of players with a known home state are from North Carolina.
  • 18.2%Backyard18.2% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 20.0%Previously rostered elsewhere20.0% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.

Where NC State ranks

Most In-State#4637.6%Most Transfers#9020.0%Closest to Home#42400 miFarthest From Home#97400 miBiggest In-State Shift#3437.6%Most Backyard Players#7918.2%Fewest Transfers#4920.0%Biggest Transfer Shift#8420.0%

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: 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.

In-state, not rostered elsewhereOut-of-state, not rostered elsewhereOut-of-state, rostered elsewhere200920122016201920232026

Where do NC State's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateRostered elsewhereRadius
202612537.6%20.0%307 mi
202512647.6%17.5%181 mi
202412356.1%16.3%143 mi
202312659.8%7.1%126 mi
202212159.2%6.6%126 mi
202113462.1%4.5%126 mi
202012462.6%3.2%115 mi
201912764.5%3.1%108 mi
201811457.5%2.6%126 mi
201710754.2%0.9%126 mi
201611156.8%1.8%126 mi
201511759.8%0.9%126 mi
201411554.8%0.9%126 mi
201311350.4%3.5%133 mi
201210649.1%0.9%158 mi
201111650.4%0.0%153 mi
201010844.3%0.0%192 mi
200911245.9%0.0%169 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.

NC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometownNC State player hometown

Homecoming Radius: 307 mi

This slider is exploratory. Rankings use fixed distance lenses.

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