Marion Lukes is a Featured Back for Central Michigan. Marion's 2024 season ranks in the 8th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 162 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.
Meaningful starter. Local collective + position-group deals.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | vsFlorida International | L16-52 | -12.1 | 10 | 37 | 3.7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.03 |
| 3 | @Illinois | L9-30 | 9.6 | 7 | 13 | 1.9 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | -0.16 |
| 4 | vsBall State | W37-34 | -19.8 | 13 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 13 · Rush Yds 78 · Avg 6.0 · Rush TD 0
| 86 |
| 6.6 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 3 |
| 0 |
| 0.19 |
| 5 | vsSan Diego State | W22-21 | -15.4 | 16 | 76 | 4.8 | 0 | 3 | 57 | 1 | 0.47 |
| 7 | vsOhio | L25-27 | 2.3 | 20 | 110 | 5.5 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 8 | @Eastern Michigan | L34-38 | -13.3 | 13 | 118 | 9.1 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 0.47 |
| 9 | @Miami (OH) | L7-46 | 1.3 | 15 | 25 | 1.7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.03 |
| 11 | vsBowling Green | L13-23 | -1.8 | 20 | 72 | 3.6 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.04 |
| 12 | @Toledo | L10-37 | -2.5 | 19 | 80 | 4.2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.07 |
| 13 | vsWestern Michigan | W16-14 | -10.2 | 15 | 93 | 6.2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 14 | @Northern Illinois | L16-24 | -3.5 | 13 | 78 | 6.0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0.11 |