Jonathan Taylor is a 3-year Featured Back for Wisconsin. Jonathan's 2017 season ranks in the 57th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 310 plays — a average rate for the RB. Jonathan's production has improved each season, a positive development trajectory.
Recruiting data from CFBD/247Sports composite. Sourced from the player's signing-class team — transfers show original school's class.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eno Benjamin | Arizona State | 2018 | 316 | 0.330 | 4.6 | 104.3 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
| Mohamed Ibrahim | Minnesota | 2022 | 314 | 0.330 | 5.3 | 103.6 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| D'Onta Foreman | Texas | 2016 | 332 | 0.340 | 5.3 | 112.9 |
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 | vsUtah State | W59-10 | -3.3 | 9 | 87 | 9.7 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.51 |
| 2 | vsFlorida Atlantic | W31-14 | 5.1 | 26 | 223 | 8.6 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
| Season | Team | Line value | WEPA/play | YoY Δ | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Wisconsin | 4.8 | 0.350 | — | 107.4 |
| 2018 | Wisconsin | 5 | 0.360 | +0.01 | 106.9 |
| 2019 | Wisconsin | 6.8 | 0.420 | +0.06 | 142.0 |
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 26 · Rush Yds 130 · Avg 5.0 · Rush TD 0
| 3 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.17 |
| 3 | @BYU | W40-6 | -7.4 | 18 | 128 | 7.1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.35 |
| 5 | vsNorthwestern | W33-24 | 11.2 | 19 | 80 | 4.2 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.25 |
| 6 | @Nebraska | W38-17 | 2.5 | 25 | 249 | 10.0 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.45 |
| 7 | vsPurdue | W17-9 | 5.8 | 30 | 219 | 7.3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0.26 |
| 8 | vsMaryland | W38-13 | -4.5 | 22 | 126 | 5.7 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 0.40 |
| 9 | @Illinois | W24-10 | -7.4 | 12 | 73 | 6.1 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.03 |
| 10 | @Indiana | W45-17 | 10.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.03 |
| 11 | vsIowa | W38-14 | 9.8 | 29 | 157 | 5.4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 12 | vsMichigan | W24-10 | 19.6 | 19 | 132 | 6.9 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 | 0.03 |
| 13 | @Minnesota | W31-0 | 0.4 | 20 | 149 | 7.4 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.14 |
| 14 | vsOhio State | L21-27 | 30.9 | 15 | 41 | 2.7 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 0 | -0.24 |
| 1 | @Miami | W34-24 | 17.4 | 26 | 130 | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | -0.16 |
