Players from California with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 79% of roster spots in 2016 and 38% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 89 of 113 roster spots were filled by California players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 45 of 120 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 1 to 55.
Of the 55 players previously rostered elsewhere, 16 are from California.
The median hometown distance moved from 49 mi in 2016 to 326 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 | 76.4% | 56.4% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 1.6% | 22.1% |
The 2026 roster
- 835 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 118 located players.
- 50.8%In-state50.8% of players with a known home state are from California.
- 41.5%Backyard41.5% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 45.8%Previously rostered elsewhere45.8% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where UCLA 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 UCLA's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 120 | 50.8% | 45.8% | 326 mi |
| 2025 | 107 | 61.7% | 40.2% | 220 mi |
| 2024 | 120 | 65.8% | 26.7% | 203 mi |
| 2023 | 124 | 66.1% | 20.2% | 220 mi |
| 2022 | 113 | 68.1% | 15.9% | 115 mi |
| 2021 | 129 | 63.3% | 7.8% | 127 mi |
| 2020 | 152 | 66.9% | 4.6% | 115 mi |
| 2019 | 124 | 71.0% | 2.4% | 115 mi |
| 2018 | 96 | 77.9% | 3.1% | 57 mi |
| 2017 | 118 | 76.3% | 0.8% | 53 mi |
| 2016 | 113 | 79.6% | 0.9% | 49 mi |
| 2015 | 132 | 73.3% | 0.0% | 56 mi |
| 2014 | 126 | 68.5% | 0.0% | 56 mi |
| 2013 | 120 | 61.5% | 0.8% | 115 mi |
| 2012 | 115 | 69.6% | 0.9% | 54 mi |
| 2011 | 118 | 76.7% | 1.7% | 40 mi |
| 2010 | 117 | 80.3% | 0.9% | 41 mi |
| 2009 | 113 | 79.6% | 0.9% | 40 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: 326 mi