The Northwestern roster story
In 2016, 22 of 95 roster spots were filled by Illinois players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 31 of 124 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 0 to 18.
The median hometown distance moved from 336 mi in 2016 to 338 mi 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 | 20.3% | 23.0% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.7% | 11.1% |
The 2026 roster
- 517 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 118 located players.
- 26.0%In-state26.0% of players with a known home state are from Illinois.
- 27.1%Backyard27.1% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 14.5%Previously rostered elsewhere14.5% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Northwestern 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 Northwestern's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 124 | 26.0% | 14.5% | 338 mi |
| 2025 | 112 | 27.0% | 17.0% | 301 mi |
| 2024 | 111 | 30.9% | 10.8% | 296 mi |
| 2023 | 103 | 28.2% | 8.7% | 315 mi |
| 2022 | 108 | 24.1% | 10.2% | 413 mi |
| 2021 | 115 | 20.9% | 8.7% | 315 mi |
| 2020 | 115 | 20.9% | 3.5% | 416 mi |
| 2019 | 114 | 15.0% | 0.9% | 484 mi |
| 2018 | 100 | 17.0% | 3.0% | 451 mi |
| 2017 | 101 | 20.8% | 2.0% | 344 mi |
| 2016 | 95 | 23.4% | 0.0% | 336 mi |
| 2015 | 104 | 25.2% | 1.9% | 331 mi |
| 2014 | 114 | 28.3% | 1.8% | 318 mi |
| 2013 | 113 | 31.3% | 0.9% | 301 mi |
| 2012 | 109 | 29.6% | 0.9% | 296 mi |
| 2011 | 108 | 28.7% | 0.0% | 287 mi |
| 2010 | 103 | 27.2% | 0.0% | 296 mi |
| 2009 | 100 | 33.0% | 0.0% | 273 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.
Homecoming Radius: 338 mi