Eric Gray is a Featured Back for Tennessee. Eric's 2020 season ranks in the 10th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 175 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
The centerpiece of the run game — high carry volume, used in early downs and goal-line, true workhorse role.
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 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | @South Carolina | W31-27 | -2.4 | 12 | 40 | 3.3 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 0.08 |
| 5 | vsMissouri | W35-12 | -1.0 | 16 | 105 | 6.6 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0.52 |
| 6 | @Georgia | L21-44 | 19.1 | 8 |
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 13 · Rush Yds 74 · Avg 5.7 · Rush TD 0
| 25 |
| 3.1 |
| 0 |
| 8 |
| 54 |
| 0 |
| 0.13 |
| 7 | vsKentucky | L7-34 | 2.2 | 24 | 128 | 5.3 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0.12 |
| 8 | vsAlabama | L17-48 | 28.3 | 19 | 57 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | -0.15 |
| 10 | @Arkansas | L13-24 | 1.6 | 31 | 123 | 4.0 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0.11 |
| 12 | @Auburn | L17-30 | 12.6 | 22 | 173 | 7.9 | 1 | 3 | 49 | 0 | 0.69 |
| 14 | vsFlorida | L19-31 | 19.8 | 12 | 47 | 3.9 | 0 | 7 | 46 | 1 | 0.41 |
| 15 | @Vanderbilt | W42-17 | -16.8 | 13 | 74 | 5.7 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0.09 |
