Jerome Ford is a Featured Back for Cincinnati. Jerome's 2021 season ranks in the 93th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 221 plays — a elite 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2017 | 240 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 98.4 |
| Nick Wilson | Arizona | 2014 | 250 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 102.5 |
| Tyjae Spears | Tulane | 2022 | 234 | 0.450 | 5.7 | 105.3 |
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 | vsMiami (OH) | W49-14 | 1.5 | 12 | 121 | 10.1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 0.63 |
| 2 | vsMurray State | W42-7 | — | 18 | 113 | 6.3 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.64 |
| 3 | @Indiana | W38-24 | -7.8 | 20 |
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 15 · Rush Yds 77 · Avg 5.1 · Rush TD 0
| 66 |
| 3.3 |
| 2 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 0 |
| -0.00 |
| 5 | @Notre Dame | W24-13 | 17.4 | 17 | 71 | 4.2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -0.09 |
| 6 | vsTemple | W52-3 | -19.1 | 15 | 149 | 9.9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.77 |
| 7 | vsUCF | W56-21 | 4.8 | 20 | 189 | 9.5 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0.80 |
| 8 | @Navy | W27-20 | -8.5 | 15 | 90 | 6.0 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0.01 |
| 9 | @Tulane | W31-12 | -3.9 | 18 | 65 | 3.6 | 1 | 4 | 42 | 1 | 0.35 |
| 10 | vsTulsa | W28-20 | 5.8 | 7 | 24 | 3.4 | 1 | 2 | 67 | 0 | 0.51 |
| 12 | vsSMU | W48-14 | 8.9 | 20 | 82 | 4.1 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 13 | @East Carolina | W35-13 | 0.5 | 20 | 85 | 4.3 | 1 | — | — | — | -0.03 |
| 14 | vsHouston | W35-20 | 10.9 | 18 | 187 | 10.4 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0.44 |
| 1 | vsAlabama | L6-27 | 26.0 | 15 | 77 | 5.1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0.10 |