Marcus Cox is a Featured Back for App State. Marcus's 2016 season ranks in the 38th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 154 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 |
| 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 | @Tennessee | L13-20 | 16.3 | 24 | 115 | 4.8 | 0 | 4 | 34 | 1 | 0.17 |
| 2 | vsOld Dominion | W31-7 | -0.7 | 18 | 133 | 7.4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.72 |
| 3 | vsMiami | L10-45 | 18.6 | 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 22 · Rush Yds 143 · Avg 6.5 · Rush TD 1
| 48 |
| 6.0 |
| 0 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.23 |
| 9 | @Georgia Southern | W34-10 | -3.9 | 18 | 115 | 6.4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.30 |
| 10 | vsTexas State | W35-10 | -25.5 | 15 | 118 | 7.9 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 0.52 |
| 11 | @Troy | L24-28 | 1.1 | 16 | 50 | 3.1 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | vsUL Monroe | W42-17 | -21.3 | 21 | 153 | 7.3 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0.34 |
| 13 | @New Mexico State | W37-7 | -17.2 | 16 | 140 | 8.8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.22 |
| 1 | vsToledo | W31-28 | 12.3 | 22 | 143 | 6.5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0.14 |
