

Sam James is a Slot Specialist WR for West Virginia. Sam's 2021 season produced 32.7 total EPA across 46 plays.
The offense's primary passing-down weapon — routes, separation, and reliability on 3rd down define this role.
Top-3 player at position nationally. Collective + national brand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadree Henderson | Pittsburgh | 2016 | 63 | 0.530 | 1.6 | 33.4 |
| DeAndre Hughes | Air Force | 2021 | 60 | 0.470 | 1.3 | 28.2 |
| Keytaon Thompson | Mississippi State | 2017 | 70 | 0.460 | 1.2 | 32.2 |
| Savion Williams | TCU | 2024 | 56 | 0.450 | 1.1 | 25.2 |
| Javion Posey | Florida Atlantic | 2020 | 53 | 0.450 | 1.4 | 23.8 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Rec | Rec Yds | Avg | Rec TD | Long | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @Maryland | L24-30 | 6.2 | 5 | 65 | 13.0 | 0 | 39 | 1.22 |
| 2 | vsLong Island University | W66-0 | — | 3 | 55 | 18.3 | 2 | 22 | -1.16 |
| 3 | vsVirginia Tech | W27-21 | 2.4 | 2 | 46 | 23.0 | 1 | 30 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Rec 3 · Rec Yds 40 · Avg 13.3 · Rec TD 0
| 2.98 |
| 4 | @Oklahoma | L13-16 | 16.8 | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 0 | 10 | 0.13 |
| 5 | vsTexas Tech | L20-23 | 9.8 | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 0 | 40 | 0.21 |
| 6 | @Baylor | L20-45 | 15.6 | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 0 | 53 | 0.55 |
| 8 | @TCU | W29-17 | -0.6 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | -0.48 |
| 9 | vsIowa State | W38-31 | 14.3 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 10 | 0.88 |
| 10 | vsOklahoma State | L3-24 | 17.2 | 5 | 46 | 9.2 | 0 | 32 | 0.80 |
| 11 | @Kansas State | L17-34 | 14.2 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 9 | -0.07 |
| 12 | vsTexas | W31-23 | 8.5 | 5 | 64 | 12.8 | 1 | 20 | 1.45 |
| 13 | @Kansas | W34-28 | -19.7 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 1 | 7 | 1.21 |
| 1 | vsMinnesota | L6-18 | 14.4 | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 0 | 14 | 1.06 |