Jalen Buckley is a Explosive Back for Western Michigan. Jalen's 2024 season ranks in the 83th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 120 plays — a above-average rate for the RB.
Elite per-carry efficiency — breaks big runs and creates chunk plays at a top rate while in a limited 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2017 | 240 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 98.4 |
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 | @Wisconsin | L14-28 | 3.0 | 16 | 64 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 0.48 |
| 6 | @Ball State | W45-42 | -19.8 | 11 | 48 | 4.4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.23 |
| 7 | vsAkron | W34-24 | -17.9 | 7 |
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 8 · Rush Yds 26 · Avg 3.3 · Rush TD 1
| 103 |
| 14.7 |
| 0 |
| 1 |
| 14 |
| 0 |
| 0.75 |
| 8 | @Buffalo | W48-41 | -4.0 | 13 | 56 | 4.3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.04 |
| 9 | vsKent State | W52-21 | -33.0 | 11 | 80 | 7.3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.54 |
| 11 | vsNorthern Illinois | L28-42 | -3.5 | 16 | 80 | 5.0 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 0.44 |
| 12 | @Bowling Green | L13-31 | -1.8 | 15 | 73 | 4.9 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0.52 |
| 13 | @Central Michigan | L14-16 | -15.8 | 12 | 50 | 4.2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.23 |
| 14 | vsEastern Michigan | W26-18 | -13.3 | 19 | 103 | 5.4 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 0 | — |
| 1 | vsSouth Alabama | L23-30 | 2.8 | 8 | 26 | 3.3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0.25 |