Players from North Carolina with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 21% of roster spots in 2016 and 12% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 21 of 99 roster spots were filled by North Carolina players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 12 of 103 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 0 to 26.
The median hometown distance moved from 303 mi in 2016 to 414 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 | 19.2% | 17.0% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 0.4% | 8.9% |
The 2026 roster
- 649 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 96 located players.
- 12.7%In-state12.7% of players with a known home state are from North Carolina.
- 12.5%Backyard12.5% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 25.2%Previously rostered elsewhere25.2% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 103 | 12.7% | 25.2% | 414 mi |
| 2025 | 121 | 13.0% | 24.0% | 376 mi |
| 2024 | 123 | 13.9% | 4.9% | 299 mi |
| 2023 | 124 | 21.2% | 4.0% | 286 mi |
| 2022 | 121 | 21.9% | 5.0% | 269 mi |
| 2021 | 132 | 18.9% | 6.8% | 279 mi |
| 2020 | 123 | 21.1% | 4.1% | 267 mi |
| 2019 | 116 | 21.6% | 0.0% | 268 mi |
| 2018 | 95 | 17.9% | 0.0% | 267 mi |
| 2017 | 92 | 18.7% | 1.1% | 282 mi |
| 2016 | 99 | 21.2% | 0.0% | 303 mi |
| 2015 | 97 | 22.7% | 1.0% | 311 mi |
| 2014 | 109 | 21.3% | 0.9% | 380 mi |
| 2013 | 105 | 24.0% | 0.0% | 303 mi |
| 2012 | 99 | 24.5% | 0.0% | 371 mi |
| 2011 | 103 | 28.4% | 0.0% | 286 mi |
| 2010 | 102 | 35.3% | 0.0% | 268 mi |
| 2009 | 105 | 37.5% | 0.0% | 252 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: 414 mi