Players from Tennessee with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 41% of roster spots in 2016 and 29% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 50 of 122 roster spots were filled by Tennessee players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 33 of 112 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 0 to 20.
The median hometown distance moved from 167 mi in 2016 to 192 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 1966. Among players with a known home state, 42% were from Tennessee, compared with 30% 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 | 39.1% | 34.7% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 0.9% | 14.8% |
The 2026 roster
- 344 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 105 located players.
- 30.4%In-state30.4% of players with a known home state are from Tennessee.
- 12.4%Backyard12.4% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 17.9%Previously rostered elsewhere17.9% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Tennessee 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 Tennessee's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 112 | 30.4% | 17.9% | 192 mi |
| 2025 | 110 | 36.4% | 12.7% | 188 mi |
| 2024 | 123 | 40.7% | 17.1% | 207 mi |
| 2023 | 124 | 38.2% | 17.7% | 194 mi |
| 2022 | 125 | 38.7% | 15.2% | 202 mi |
| 2021 | 123 | 39.2% | 11.4% | 196 mi |
| 2020 | 141 | 40.1% | 5.0% | 203 mi |
| 2019 | 128 | 37.1% | 2.3% | 238 mi |
| 2018 | 115 | 37.4% | 1.7% | 250 mi |
| 2017 | 121 | 39.2% | 0.8% | 194 mi |
| 2016 | 122 | 41.0% | 0.0% | 167 mi |
| 2015 | 122 | 42.6% | 1.6% | 169 mi |
| 2014 | 121 | 43.0% | 0.8% | 180 mi |
| 2013 | 126 | 42.1% | 0.8% | 176 mi |
| 2012 | 117 | 38.5% | 0.0% | 199 mi |
| 2011 | 120 | 40.0% | 0.8% | 174 mi |
| 2010 | 122 | 39.3% | 0.8% | 175 mi |
| 2009 | 109 | 43.1% | 0.9% | 220 mi |
| 2008‡ | 28 | 27.8% | 3.6% | — |
| 2007‡ | 36 | 25.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 28 | 25.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 26 | 50.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 28 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2002archive‡ | 104 | 1.4% | 12.5% proxy | — |
| 2001archive‡ | 96 | 2.9% | 6.3% proxy | — |
| 2000archive | 99 | 40.2% | 4.0% proxy | 209 mi |
| 1999archive | 94 | 38.6% | 4.3% proxy | 178 mi |
| 1997archive | 100 | 37.8% | 4.0% proxy | 236 mi |
| 1996archive | 87 | 36.8% | 8.0% proxy | 276 mi |
| 1995archive | 91 | 41.8% | 7.7% proxy | 268 mi |
| 1994archive | 91 | 43.3% | 5.5% proxy | 265 mi |
| 1993archive | 70 | 50.7% | 11.4% proxy | 229 mi |
| 1992archive | 84 | 41.5% | 7.1% proxy | 326 mi |
| 1991archive | 93 | 38.7% | 9.7% proxy | 335 mi |
| 1990archive | 103 | 36.9% | 9.7% proxy | 335 mi |
| 1989archive | 98 | 42.9% | 7.1% proxy | 268 mi |
| 1988archive | 97 | 51.5% | 4.1% proxy | 222 mi |
| 1987archive | 101 | 41.6% | 4.0% proxy | 265 mi |
| 1986archive | 97 | 46.4% | 2.1% proxy | 222 mi |
| 1985archive | 96 | 50.0% | 0.0% proxy | 207 mi |
| 1984archive | 99 | 51.5% | 0.0% proxy | 193 mi |
| 1983archive | 95 | 45.2% | 0.0% proxy | 236 mi |
| 1982archive | 97 | 45.3% | 0.0% proxy | 188 mi |
| 1980archive | 93 | 46.2% | 0.0% proxy | 178 mi |
| 1979archive‡ | 68 | 44.8% | 0.0% proxy | 160 mi |
| 1978archive‡ | 68 | 52.9% | 0.0% proxy | 160 mi |
| 1976archive | 82 | 37.8% | 0.0% proxy | 178 mi |
| 1975archive | 94 | 42.6% | 0.0% proxy | 154 mi |
| 1974archive | 100 | 43.0% | 0.0% proxy | 159 mi |
| 1973archive | 82 | 48.8% | 1.2% proxy | 154 mi |
| 1972archive | 83 | 48.2% | 1.2% proxy | 160 mi |
| 1971archive‡ | 56 | 57.1% | 0.0% proxy | 168 mi |
| 1970archive‡ | 56 | 58.9% | 0.0% proxy | 183 mi |
| 1969archive | 87 | 60.5% | 0.0% proxy | 164 mi |
| 1968archive | 95 | 66.0% | 0.0% proxy | 160 mi |
| 1967archive | 81 | 47.5% | 0.0% proxy | 176 mi |
| 1966archive | 83 | 42.2% | 0.0% proxy | 202 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: 192 mi