2026 roster · Roster geography
The Western Michigan roster story
In 2016, 45 of 87 roster spots were filled by Michigan players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 20 of 104 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 3 to 25.
In 2016 the median player grew up 127 mi from campus. Now it is 203 mi.
Of the 25 players who came from another college, 3 are from Michigan. Those home-state players make up 12% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.
Then → now
2016–18 compared with 2021–25
- Local-developed core
- Transfer stock
| Measure | 2016–18 | 2021–25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local-developed core | 47.3% | 25.5% | |
| Transfer stock | 4.0% | 13.9% |
The roster, at a glance
- 444 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 99 located players.
- 22.1%In-state22.1% of the roster is from Michigan.
- 14.1%Backyard14.1% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
- 24.0%Detected transfers24.0% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.
Across the FBS
Where Western Michigan 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: local-developed, local transfer, outsider developed, outsider transfer, and unknown. This chart begins where stable athlete IDs make transfer detection possible; the radius chart above carries the official-archive geography farther back.
Where do Western Michigan's players come from?
| Season | Roster | In-state | Transfer signal | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104 | 22.1% | 24.0% | 203 mi |
| 2025 | 107 | 23.4% | 27.1% | 141 mi |
| 2024 | 112 | 25.9% | 17.9% | 174 mi |
| 2023 | 108 | 29.6% | 10.2% | 144 mi |
| 2022 | 112 | 29.1% | 7.1% | 135 mi |
| 2021 | 97 | 32.6% | 7.2% | 131 mi |
| 2020 | 109 | 36.1% | 4.6% | 131 mi |
| 2019 | 109 | 39.8% | 4.6% | 137 mi |
| 2018 | 108 | 44.8% | 5.6% | 133 mi |
| 2017 | 103 | 50.0% | 2.9% | 133 mi |
| 2016 | 87 | 52.9% | 3.4% | 127 mi |
| 2015 | 102 | 50.0% | 2.0% | 127 mi |
| 2014 | 111 | 51.4% | 1.8% | 124 mi |
| 2013 | 107 | 31.1% | 0.9% | 143 mi |
| 2012 | 105 | 27.2% | 0.0% | 423 mi |
| 2011 | 105 | 29.8% | 0.0% | 256 mi |
| 2010 | 103 | 24.5% | 0.0% | 196 mi |
| 2009 | 100 | 32.0% | 0.0% | 133 mi |
Where the roster grew up
Every 2026 player's hometown, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.
Homecoming Radius: 203 mi
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