Program field guide · 2026

Big Ten · Illinois

Northwestern

Wildcats

Northwestern’s Illinois-developed core grew from 22 to 31 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

In 2016, 22 of 95 roster spots were filled by Illinois players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 31 of 124 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 0 to 18.

In 2016 the median player grew up 336 mi from campus. Now it is 338 mi.

Of the 18 players who came from another college, 1 is from Illinois. Those home-state players make up 6% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2520.3%23.0%1.7%11.1%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core20.3%23.0%
Transfer stock1.7%11.1%

The roster, at a glance

  • 517 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 118 located players.
  • 26.0%In-state26.0% of the roster is from Illinois.
  • 27.1%Backyard27.1% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 14.5%Detected transfers14.5% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where Northwestern ranks

Most In-State#8126.0%Most Transfers#11914.5%Closest to Home#83517 miFarthest From Home#56517 miBiggest Localism Shift#10826.0%Most Backyard Players#4027.1%Fewest Transfers#2014.5%Biggest Transfer Shift#10914.5%

Homecoming Radius over time

The median hometown-to-campus distance, by season. The dotted line is the FBS median.

0100200300400500FBS median (250 mi)200920122016201920232026

Roster composition over time

Where the in-state lens draws the line: local-developed, local transfer, outsider developed, outsider transfer, and unknown. This chart begins where stable athlete IDs make transfer detection possible; the radius chart above carries the official-archive geography farther back.

Local-developedOutsider developedOutsider transfer200920122016201920232026

Where do Northwestern's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202612426.0%14.5%338 mi
202511227.0%17.0%301 mi
202411130.9%10.8%296 mi
202310328.2%8.7%315 mi
202210824.1%10.2%413 mi
202111520.9%8.7%315 mi
202011520.9%3.5%416 mi
201911415.0%0.9%484 mi
201810017.0%3.0%451 mi
201710120.8%2.0%344 mi
20169523.4%0.0%336 mi
201510425.2%1.9%331 mi
201411428.3%1.8%318 mi
201311331.3%0.9%301 mi
201210929.6%0.9%296 mi
201110828.7%0.0%287 mi
201010327.2%0.0%296 mi
200910033.0%0.0%273 mi

Where the roster grew up

Every 2026 player's hometown, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.

Northwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometownNorthwestern player hometown

Homecoming Radius: 338 mi

(This slider is for exploring — leaderboards use the fixed lenses.)

Keep exploring

More from Big Ten

See all Big Ten teams