The Syracuse roster story
In 2016, 17 of 108 roster spots were filled by New York players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 16 of 110 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 1 to 26.
The median hometown distance moved from 590 mi in 2016 to 285 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 2001. Among players with a known home state, 22% were from New York, compared with 15% 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 | 12.6% | 15.5% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 2.3% | 15.0% |
The 2026 roster
- 579 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 95 located players.
- 15.5%In-state15.5% of players with a known home state are from New York.
- 4.2%Backyard4.2% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 23.6%Previously rostered elsewhere23.6% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Syracuse 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 Syracuse's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 110 | 15.5% | 23.6% | 285 mi |
| 2025 | 127 | 23.0% | 20.5% | 254 mi |
| 2024 | 107 | 17.5% | 22.4% | 258 mi |
| 2023 | 109 | 17.9% | 16.5% | 326 mi |
| 2022 | 108 | 15.4% | 10.2% | 427 mi |
| 2021 | 96 | 13.0% | 5.2% | 299 mi |
| 2020 | 115 | 16.1% | 1.7% | 290 mi |
| 2019 | 112 | 11.6% | 1.8% | 297 mi |
| 2018 | 100 | 12.2% | 3.0% | 340 mi |
| 2017 | 98 | 10.2% | 3.1% | 566 mi |
| 2016 | 108 | 15.9% | 0.9% | 590 mi |
| 2015 | 99 | 23.2% | 0.0% | 348 mi |
| 2014 | 114 | 27.4% | 0.0% | 278 mi |
| 2013 | 110 | 30.3% | 0.9% | 270 mi |
| 2012 | 102 | 31.7% | 0.0% | 257 mi |
| 2011 | 105 | 31.7% | 0.0% | 237 mi |
| 2010 | 96 | 30.5% | 0.0% | 235 mi |
| 2009 | 78 | 29.9% | 0.0% | 231 mi |
| 2008‡ | 32 | 23.8% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 30 | 33.3% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 30 | 40.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 35 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 26 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive | 103 | 24.0% | 0.0% proxy | 254 mi |
| 2001archive | 94 | 22.2% | 0.0% proxy | 228 mi |
In-state shares use players with a known home state. Radius uses located hometowns.
‡ fewer than 70 roster rows or under 75% known home state. Treat with caution.
archive = official athletic-site roster. “Proxy” is the share listing a previous school where that field behaved like a transfer field; it is not the same measure as the share previously rostered elsewhere.
Where the roster grew up
Located hometowns on the 2026 roster, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.
Homecoming Radius: 285 mi