Players from West Virginia with no earlier college roster elsewhere in the data filled 21% of roster spots in 2016 and 10% on the 2026 roster.
In 2016, 28 of 132 roster spots were filled by West Virginia players not previously rostered elsewhere in the data. On the 2026 roster, 12 of 118 fit the same definition. The number of players previously rostered elsewhere changed from 4 to 43.
The median hometown distance moved from 187 mi in 2016 to 484 mi on the 2026 roster. The reliable geography record begins in 2000. Among players with a known home state, 0% were from West Virginia, compared with 10% 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 | 22.8% | 17.3% | |
| Previously rostered elsewhere | 6.5% | 17.7% |
The 2026 roster
- 609 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 109 located players.
- 10.2%In-state10.2% of players with a known home state are from West Virginia.
- 7.3%Backyard7.3% of players with a located hometown grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 36.4%Previously rostered elsewhere36.4% of the roster appeared on another college roster in an earlier season.
Where West Virginia 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 West Virginia's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Rostered elsewhere | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 118 | 10.2% | 36.4% | 484 mi |
| 2025 | 125 | 18.5% | 38.4% | 345 mi |
| 2024 | 128 | 22.2% | 12.5% | 227 mi |
| 2023 | 117 | 17.5% | 17.1% | 256 mi |
| 2022 | 112 | 18.7% | 10.7% | 245 mi |
| 2021 | 100 | 20.8% | 10.0% | 255 mi |
| 2020 | 118 | 24.1% | 11.9% | 219 mi |
| 2019 | 120 | 24.4% | 12.5% | 219 mi |
| 2018 | 114 | 22.3% | 10.5% | 219 mi |
| 2017 | 115 | 25.2% | 6.1% | 218 mi |
| 2016 | 132 | 21.2% | 3.0% | 187 mi |
| 2015 | 132 | 19.8% | 1.5% | 234 mi |
| 2014 | 132 | 18.3% | 1.5% | 234 mi |
| 2013 | 120 | 16.8% | 2.5% | 234 mi |
| 2012 | 108 | 15.9% | 0.0% | 241 mi |
| 2011 | 108 | 21.3% | 0.9% | 165 mi |
| 2010 | 103 | 22.3% | 0.0% | 175 mi |
| 2009 | 111 | 22.5% | 0.0% | 175 mi |
| 2008‡ | 30 | 15.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2007‡ | 29 | 20.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2006‡ | 33 | 25.0% | 3.0% | — |
| 2005‡ | 33 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2004‡ | 34 | — | 0.0% | — |
| 2003archive‡ | 129 | 0.0% | 0.0% proxy | — |
| 2002archive‡ | 122 | 0.0% | 0.0% proxy | — |
| 2001archive | 118 | 0.0% | 0.0% proxy | — |
| 2000archive | 108 | 0.0% | 0.0% proxy | — |
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: 484 mi