ACC · Virginia · 2026 roster

Virginia Cavaliers football roster hometowns

Where are Virginia players from?

On the 2026 Virginia football roster, 29.1% of players with a known home state are from Virginia. The median listed hometown is 326 mi from campus (Homecoming Radius).

The 2026 snapshot was collected before the season. Sources and definitions

Players from Virginia with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 52% of roster spots in 2016 and 27% on the 2026 roster.

In 2016, 52 of 100 roster spots were filled by Virginia players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 32 of 117 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 3 to 34.

The median hometown distance moved from 135 mi in 2016 to 326 mi on the 2026 roster.

Before and during the portal era

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2542.9%36.3%2.4%12.7%
  • In-state, not rostered elsewhere
  • Previously rostered elsewhere
Measure2016–182021–25
In-state, not rostered elsewhere42.9%36.3%
Previously rostered elsewhere2.4%12.7%

The 2026 roster

  • 449 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 109 located players.
  • 29.1%In-state29.1% of players with a known home state are from Virginia.
  • 25.7%Backyard25.7% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 29.1%Previously rostered elsewhere29.1% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.

Where Virginia ranks

Most In-State#7229.1%Most Transfers#4329.1%Closest to Home#61449 miFarthest From Home#78449 miBiggest In-State Shift#4929.1%Most Backyard Players#4825.7%Fewest Transfers#9629.1%Biggest Transfer Shift#4029.1%

Homecoming Radius over time

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

0100200300FBS median (250 mi)200920122016201920232026

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.

In-state, not rostered elsewhereOut-of-state, not rostered elsewhereOut-of-state, rostered elsewhere200920122016201920232026

Where do Virginia's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateRostered elsewhereRadius
202611729.1%29.1%326 mi
202512329.3%25.2%326 mi
202412843.5%13.3%233 mi
202312642.9%10.3%243 mi
202212342.6%10.6%238 mi
202112536.9%4.0%271 mi
202012034.2%2.5%275 mi
201913534.1%0.7%244 mi
201810735.2%0.9%188 mi
20179542.1%3.2%160 mi
201610052.0%3.0%135 mi
201510753.3%3.7%141 mi
201411457.1%0.0%140 mi
201311255.9%0.0%140 mi
201211856.4%0.0%147 mi
201112059.7%0.0%135 mi
201011755.2%0.0%137 mi
200911051.8%0.0%140 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.

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Homecoming Radius: 326 mi

This slider is exploratory. Rankings use fixed distance lenses.

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