Players from Nebraska with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 41% of roster spots in 2016 and 27% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 54 of 131 roster spots were filled by Nebraska players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 31 of 116 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 3 to 23.
The median hometown distance moved from 330 mi in 2016 to 600 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1959. Among players with a known home state, 51% were from Nebraska, compared with 28% 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 | 37.0% | 37.1% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 2.7% | 11.1% |
The 2026 roster
- 655 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 110 located players.
- 27.8%In-state27.8% of players with a known home state are from Nebraska.
- 25.5%Backyard25.5% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 19.8%Previously rostered elsewhere19.8% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Nebraska 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 Nebraska's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 116 | 27.8% | 19.8% | 600 mi |
| 2025 | 125 | 29.8% | 12.0% | 446 mi |
| 2024 | 151 | 35.3% | 9.3% | 476 mi |
| 2023 | 136 | 39.3% | 14.7% | 368 mi |
| 2022 | 151 | 42.0% | 11.3% | 259 mi |
| 2021 | 170 | 43.5% | 8.2% | 264 mi |
| 2020 | 161 | 42.8% | 6.2% | 255 mi |
| 2019 | 158 | 44.9% | 5.1% | 212 mi |
| 2018 | 119 | 37.0% | 3.4% | 377 mi |
| 2017 | 125 | 33.6% | 2.4% | 439 mi |
| 2016 | 131 | 41.5% | 2.3% | 330 mi |
| 2015 | 130 | 42.3% | 0.0% | 330 mi |
| 2014 | 141 | 43.6% | 0.0% | 384 mi |
| 2013 | 137 | 39.7% | 0.0% | 442 mi |
| 2012 | 142 | 46.1% | 0.0% | 331 mi |
| 2011 | 144 | 48.3% | 0.0% | 263 mi |
| 2010 | 152 | 49.3% | 0.0% | 246 mi |
| 2009 | 139 | 49.6% | 0.0% | 213 mi |
| 2008‡ | 31 | 27.8% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 38 | 27.3% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 34 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 34 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 32 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 163 | 58.8% | 0.0% proxy | 120 mi |
| 2002archive | 152 | 57.4% | 0.0% proxy | 113 mi |
| 2001archive | 148 | 53.8% | 0.0% proxy | 115 mi |
| 2000archive | 164 | 55.3% | 0.0% proxy | 129 mi |
| 1999archive | 193 | 54.7% | 0.0% proxy | 132 mi |
| 1998archive | 189 | 58.8% | 0.0% proxy | 113 mi |
| 1997archive | 188 | 58.8% | 0.0% proxy | 99 mi |
| 1996archive | 186 | 61.8% | 0.0% proxy | 102 mi |
| 1995archive | 179 | 59.2% | 0.0% proxy | 104 mi |
| 1994archive | 162 | 55.3% | 0.0% proxy | 151 mi |
| 1993archive | 131 | 51.5% | 0.0% proxy | 172 mi |
| 1992archive | 151 | 46.6% | 0.0% proxy | 191 mi |
| 1991archive | 139 | 44.5% | 0.0% proxy | 215 mi |
| 1990archive | 105 | 42.7% | 0.0% proxy | 173 mi |
| 1989archive | 130 | 48.8% | 0.0% proxy | 164 mi |
| 1988archive | 102 | 52.5% | 0.0% proxy | 146 mi |
| 1987archive | 103 | 50.5% | 0.0% proxy | 189 mi |
| 1986archive | 98 | 57.1% | 0.0% proxy | 132 mi |
| 1985archive | 108 | 63.0% | 0.0% proxy | 94 mi |
| 1984archive | 154 | 66.2% | 0.0% proxy | 91 mi |
| 1983archive | 116 | 68.1% | 0.0% proxy | 87 mi |
| 1982archive | 88 | 60.2% | 0.0% proxy | 128 mi |
| 1981archive | 138 | 60.1% | 0.0% proxy | 116 mi |
| 1980archive | 148 | 63.5% | 0.0% proxy | 91 mi |
| 1979archive | 125 | 60.5% | 0.0% proxy | 121 mi |
| 1978archive | 97 | 51.5% | 0.0% proxy | 172 mi |
| 1977archive | 95 | 51.6% | 0.0% proxy | 159 mi |
| 1976archive | 117 | 48.7% | 0.0% proxy | 164 mi |
| 1975archive | 113 | 46.9% | 0.0% proxy | 164 mi |
| 1974archive | 118 | 46.6% | 0.0% proxy | 174 mi |
| 1973archive | 99 | 48.5% | 0.0% proxy | 216 mi |
| 1972archive | 97 | 40.2% | 0.0% proxy | 327 mi |
| 1971archive | 89 | 38.2% | 0.0% proxy | 327 mi |
| 1970archive | 85 | 36.5% | 0.0% proxy | 368 mi |
| 1969archive | 104 | 37.5% | 0.0% proxy | 324 mi |
| 1968archive | 97 | 47.4% | 0.0% proxy | 219 mi |
| 1967archive | 86 | 47.7% | 0.0% proxy | 210 mi |
| 1966archive | 98 | 43.9% | 0.0% proxy | 239 mi |
| 1965archive | 81 | 38.8% | 0.0% proxy | 335 mi |
| 1964archive | 73 | 43.1% | 0.0% proxy | 273 mi |
| 1963archive | 73 | 38.0% | 0.0% proxy | 298 mi |
| 1962archive‡ | 60 | 44.1% | 0.0% proxy | 248 mi |
| 1961archive‡ | 56 | 43.6% | 0.0% proxy | 198 mi |
| 1960archive‡ | 65 | 44.6% | 0.0% proxy | 164 mi |
| 1959archive | 70 | 51.4% | 0.0% proxy | 154 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: 600 mi