Players from Texas with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 85% of roster spots in 2016 and 50% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 90 of 106 roster spots were filled by Texas players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 52 of 103 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 0 to 21.
Of the 21 players previously rostered elsewhere, 6 are from Texas.
The median hometown distance moved from 145 mi in 2016 to 241 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 | 83.7% | 55.0% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 0.7% | 10.3% |
The 2026 roster
- 491 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 100 located players.
- 56.3%In-state56.3% of players with a known home state are from Texas.
- 27.0%Backyard27.0% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 20.4%Previously rostered elsewhere20.4% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Rice 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 Rice's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 103 | 56.3% | 20.4% | 241 mi |
| 2025 | 107 | 65.1% | 17.8% | 221 mi |
| 2024 | 121 | 56.2% | 12.4% | 239 mi |
| 2023 | 111 | 54.1% | 10.8% | 251 mi |
| 2022 | 108 | 56.5% | 7.4% | 246 mi |
| 2021 | 124 | 58.5% | 3.2% | 244 mi |
| 2020 | 114 | 64.9% | 2.6% | 227 mi |
| 2019 | 105 | 69.5% | 1.0% | 221 mi |
| 2018 | 98 | 81.4% | 2.0% | 154 mi |
| 2017 | 97 | 85.6% | 0.0% | 141 mi |
| 2016 | 106 | 85.7% | 0.0% | 145 mi |
| 2015 | 115 | 87.7% | 0.0% | 145 mi |
| 2014 | 109 | 87.0% | 0.9% | 147 mi |
| 2013 | 107 | 86.0% | 0.0% | 155 mi |
| 2012 | 101 | 88.1% | 1.0% | 155 mi |
| 2011 | 100 | 87.0% | 1.0% | 143 mi |
| 2010 | 102 | 85.3% | 1.0% | 141 mi |
| 2009 | 94 | 80.9% | 1.1% | 155 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: 241 mi