Program field guide · 2026

Big Ten · Pennsylvania

Penn State

Nittany Lions

Penn State’s Pennsylvania-developed core fell from 43 to 27 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

In 2016, 43 of 112 roster spots were filled by Pennsylvania players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 27 of 112 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 0 to 38.

In 2016 the median player grew up 154 mi from campus. Now it is 251 mi.

Of the 38 players who came from another college, 1 is from Pennsylvania. Those home-state players make up 3% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2538.5%34.0%0.0%7.2%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core38.5%34.0%
Transfer stock0.0%7.2%

The roster, at a glance

  • 562 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 109 located players.
  • 25.0%In-state25.0% of the roster is from Pennsylvania.
  • 9.2%Backyard9.2% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 33.9%Detected transfers33.9% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where Penn State ranks

Most In-State#8325.0%Most Transfers#2533.9%Closest to Home#95562 miFarthest From Home#44562 miBiggest Localism Shift#5025.0%Most Backyard Players#1189.2%Fewest Transfers#11433.9%Biggest Transfer Shift#1733.9%

Homecoming Radius over time

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

050100150200250FBS 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 Penn State's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202611225.0%33.9%251 mi
202512737.3%11.8%154 mi
202412539.5%8.0%154 mi
202312538.5%7.2%154 mi
202212236.0%2.5%156 mi
202111029.6%6.4%163 mi
202012336.9%0.8%155 mi
201912242.1%1.6%158 mi
201811538.3%0.0%154 mi
201710838.9%0.0%154 mi
201611238.7%0.0%154 mi
201512638.9%0.0%153 mi
201413143.5%0.0%150 mi
201311547.0%0.0%142 mi
201211748.3%0.0%133 mi
201111844.4%0.0%143 mi
201012047.9%0.0%141 mi
200912044.1%0.0%145 mi

Where the roster grew up

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

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Homecoming Radius: 251 mi

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

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