Darius Taylor is a Featured Back for Minnesota. Darius's 2023 season ranks in the 48th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 147 plays — a average rate for the RB.
The centerpiece of the run game — high carry volume, used in early downs and goal-line, true workhorse role.
Top-10 nationally. Multiple mid-to-large collective deals expected.
Tier is a model estimate based on position, school brand, performance rank, and usage — not a reported deal. NIL deals are private. For a real market valuation, see On3's NIL profile, which factors in social following and actual deal tracking.
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Car | Rush Yds | Avg | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsNebraska | W13-10 | 0.3 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.41 |
| 2 | vsEastern Michigan | W25-6 | -12.3 | 33 | 193 | 5.8 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0.30 |
| 3 | @North Carolina | L13-31 | 7.4 | 22 | 138 | 6.3 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 0.56 |
| 4 | @Northwestern | L34-37 | -1.3 | 31 | 198 | 6.4 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 0.24 |
| 8 | @Iowa | W12-10 | 5.8 | 16 | 59 | 3.7 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 0.10 |
| 1 | vsBowling Green | W30-24 | -7.8 | 35 | 208 | 5.9 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0.30 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Chart shows per-game EPA (bars) and rolling 5-game average (line). Season breaks marked with dashed lines. Line value = est. points over replacement per game.
Car 35 · Rush Yds 208 · Avg 5.9 · Rush TD 1
