Program field guide · 2026

Big Ten · Ohio

Ohio State

Buckeyes

Ohio State’s Ohio-developed core fell from 64 to 46 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

In 2016, 64 of 118 roster spots were filled by Ohio players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 46 of 120 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 2 to 23.

In 2016 the median player grew up 125 mi from campus. Now it is 288 mi.

Of the 23 players who came from another college, 7 are from Ohio. Those home-state players make up 30% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2551.0%41.0%2.3%8.9%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core51.0%41.0%
Transfer stock2.3%8.9%

The roster, at a glance

  • 482 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 116 located players.
  • 44.2%In-state44.2% of the roster is from Ohio.
  • 27.6%Backyard27.6% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 19.2%Detected transfers19.2% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where Ohio State ranks

Most In-State#3744.2%Most Transfers#9719.2%Closest to Home#74482 miFarthest From Home#65482 miBiggest Localism Shift#9144.2%Most Backyard Players#3627.6%Fewest Transfers#4219.2%Biggest Transfer Shift#9419.2%

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: 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-developedLocal transferOutsider developedOutsider transfer200920122016201920232026

Where do Ohio State's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202612044.2%19.2%288 mi
202512146.3%14.0%153 mi
202412344.7%11.4%165 mi
202312443.4%8.9%192 mi
202212142.9%5.0%192 mi
202113143.1%5.3%204 mi
202012346.3%6.5%167 mi
201912748.8%6.3%145 mi
201811951.3%2.5%134 mi
201711450.9%2.6%139 mi
201611855.1%1.7%125 mi
201511753.8%0.9%127 mi
201412059.2%0.8%125 mi
201311466.7%0.9%125 mi
201210767.3%0.9%124 mi
201111565.2%0.0%121 mi
201012165.0%0.0%124 mi
200911469.9%0.0%104 mi

Where the roster grew up

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

Ohio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometownOhio State player hometown

Homecoming Radius: 288 mi

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

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