Players from North Carolina with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 47% of roster spots in 2016 and 10% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 49 of 104 roster spots were filled by North Carolina players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 11 of 109 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 1 to 29.
The median hometown distance moved from 221 mi in 2016 to 412 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1959. Among players with a known home state, 50% were from North Carolina, compared with 12% 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 | 43.0% | 40.4% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.2% | 12.3% |
The 2026 roster
- 580 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 101 located players.
- 11.9%In-state11.9% of players with a known home state are from North Carolina.
- 8.9%Backyard8.9% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 26.6%Previously rostered elsewhere26.6% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where North Carolina 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 North Carolina's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 109 | 11.9% | 26.6% | 412 mi |
| 2025 | 109 | 19.4% | 33.0% | 341 mi |
| 2024 | 121 | 40.5% | 12.4% | 251 mi |
| 2023 | 120 | 46.7% | 10.8% | 151 mi |
| 2022 | 118 | 53.0% | 3.4% | 130 mi |
| 2021 | 116 | 53.0% | 1.7% | 140 mi |
| 2020 | 121 | 45.5% | 1.7% | 185 mi |
| 2019 | 121 | 43.8% | 3.3% | 227 mi |
| 2018 | 111 | 40.9% | 0.9% | 233 mi |
| 2017 | 109 | 42.2% | 1.8% | 233 mi |
| 2016 | 104 | 47.1% | 1.0% | 221 mi |
| 2015 | 115 | 51.3% | 0.9% | 122 mi |
| 2014 | 124 | 54.8% | 0.0% | 111 mi |
| 2013 | 111 | 50.5% | 0.0% | 139 mi |
| 2012 | 116 | 54.3% | 0.0% | 132 mi |
| 2011 | 106 | 56.6% | 0.9% | 132 mi |
| 2010 | 98 | 51.5% | 1.0% | 150 mi |
| 2009 | 101 | 56.0% | 1.0% | 128 mi |
| 2008‡ | 33 | 52.6% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 30 | 53.8% | 3.3% | — |
| 2006‡ | 25 | 0.0% | 4.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 30 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 31 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 119 | 49.6% | 0.0% proxy | 139 mi |
| 2002archive | 105 | 53.3% | 0.0% proxy | 142 mi |
| 2001archive | 118 | 59.0% | 0.0% proxy | 118 mi |
| 2000archive | 117 | 62.4% | 0.0% proxy | 122 mi |
| 1999archive‡ | 53 | 62.3% | 0.0% proxy | 124 mi |
| 1998archive | 111 | 64.0% | 0.0% proxy | 124 mi |
| 1997archive | 111 | 59.5% | 0.0% proxy | 125 mi |
| 1996archive | 106 | 56.2% | 0.0% proxy | 125 mi |
| 1995archive | 96 | 53.7% | 0.0% proxy | 142 mi |
| 1994archive | 97 | 60.8% | 0.0% proxy | 111 mi |
| 1993archive | 80 | 67.5% | 0.0% proxy | 111 mi |
| 1992archive | 76 | 65.8% | 0.0% proxy | 111 mi |
| 1991archive | 90 | 61.4% | 0.0% proxy | 128 mi |
| 1990archive‡ | 63 | 54.8% | 0.0% proxy | 142 mi |
| 1989archive‡ | 55 | 47.3% | 0.0% proxy | 172 mi |
| 1988archive | 100 | 46.0% | 0.0% proxy | 156 mi |
| 1987archive | 88 | 44.3% | 0.0% proxy | 158 mi |
| 1986archive | 88 | 43.7% | 0.0% proxy | 157 mi |
| 1985archive | 85 | 44.0% | 0.0% proxy | 160 mi |
| 1984archive | 75 | 50.0% | 0.0% proxy | 131 mi |
| 1983archive | 81 | 58.2% | 0.0% proxy | 126 mi |
| 1982archive | 86 | 61.2% | 0.0% proxy | 116 mi |
| 1981archive | 86 | 63.1% | 0.0% proxy | 111 mi |
| 1980archive | 79 | 55.1% | 0.0% proxy | 122 mi |
| 1979archive‡ | 33 | 66.7% | 0.0% proxy | 105 mi |
| 1978archive‡ | 61 | 42.6% | 0.0% proxy | 160 mi |
| 1977archive‡ | 49 | 38.8% | 0.0% proxy | 151 mi |
| 1976archive‡ | 48 | 41.7% | 0.0% proxy | 138 mi |
| 1975archive | 83 | 41.0% | 0.0% proxy | 142 mi |
| 1974archive‡ | 44 | 40.9% | 0.0% proxy | 161 mi |
| 1973archive | 86 | 35.3% | 0.0% proxy | 146 mi |
| 1972archive | 86 | 38.8% | 0.0% proxy | 160 mi |
| 1971archive | 75 | 55.6% | 0.0% proxy | 133 mi |
| 1970archive | 104 | 50.0% | 0.0% proxy | 152 mi |
| 1969archive | 80 | 40.5% | 0.0% proxy | 225 mi |
| 1968archive‡ | 67 | 32.2% | 0.0% proxy | 226 mi |
| 1964archive | 86 | 53.5% | 0.0% proxy | 122 mi |
| 1963archive | 84 | 46.4% | 0.0% proxy | 148 mi |
| 1962archive | 76 | 40.8% | 0.0% proxy | 172 mi |
| 1961archive‡ | 69 | 52.9% | 0.0% proxy | 148 mi |
| 1960archive‡ | 66 | 49.2% | 0.0% proxy | 204 mi |
| 1959archive | 77 | 50.0% | 0.0% proxy | 198 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: 412 mi