Program field guide · 2026

Big Ten · Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Badgers

Wisconsin’s Wisconsin-developed core fell from 47 to 29 players.

2026 roster · Roster geography

In 2016, 47 of 102 roster spots were filled by Wisconsin players with no earlier college team detected. On the 2026 roster, 29 of 114 fit the same definition. Detected transfers went from 2 to 33.

In 2016 the median player grew up 214 mi from campus. Now it is 385 mi.

Of the 33 players who came from another college, 1 is from Wisconsin. Those home-state players make up 3% of detected-transfer stock on this roster.

Then → now

2016–18 compared with 2021–25

2016–182021–2545.3%34.3%2.0%13.6%
  • Local-developed core
  • Transfer stock
Measure2016–182021–25
Local-developed core45.3%34.3%
Transfer stock2.0%13.6%

The roster, at a glance

  • 530 miAverage hometown distanceAverage hometown distance among 100 located players.
  • 26.3%In-state26.3% of the roster is from Wisconsin.
  • 19.0%Backyard19.0% grew up within 100 miles of campus.
  • 28.9%Detected transfers28.9% of the roster arrived after playing at another school.

Across the FBS

Where Wisconsin ranks

Most In-State#7926.3%Most Transfers#4428.9%Closest to Home#86530 miFarthest From Home#53530 miBiggest Localism Shift#3026.3%Most Backyard Players#7219.0%Fewest Transfers#9528.9%Biggest Transfer Shift#3828.9%

Homecoming Radius over time

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

0100200300400FBS median (250 mi)200920122016201920232026

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.

Local-developedOutsider developedOutsider transfer200920122016201920232026

Where do Wisconsin's players come from?

SeasonRosterIn-stateTransfer signalRadius
202611426.3%28.9%385 mi
202511630.4%20.7%284 mi
202411930.5%19.3%357 mi
202312236.1%16.4%300 mi
202212040.0%9.2%232 mi
202111340.7%2.7%222 mi
202014247.2%0.7%176 mi
201911644.0%0.9%231 mi
201810046.0%1.0%176 mi
201710343.7%2.9%176 mi
201610246.1%2.0%214 mi
201510948.6%0.0%150 mi
201411353.1%0.0%179 mi
201312352.0%0.8%123 mi
201211647.4%1.7%149 mi
201111948.7%0.8%184 mi
201011343.4%0.0%232 mi
200911342.5%0.9%167 mi

Where the roster grew up

Every 2026 player's hometown, with campus marked and the Homecoming Radius circled.

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Homecoming Radius: 385 mi

(This slider is for exploring — leaderboards use the fixed lenses.)

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