Saquon Barkley is a 2-year Pass-Catching Back for Penn State. Saquon's 2017 season ranks in the 78th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 266 plays — a above-average rate for the RB.
Third-down weapon out of the backfield. Routes, hands, and separation in coverage define this role as much as rushing.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeVante Bellamy | Western Michigan | 2019 | 269 | 0.400 | 5.4 | 107.6 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
| Nick Wilson | Arizona | 2014 | 250 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 102.5 |
| Ameer Abdullah | Nebraska | 2014 | 262 | 0.380 | 5.3 | 99.6 |
| Blake Corum | Michigan | 2023 | 283 | 0.380 | 5.1 | 107.5 |
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 | vsAkron | W52-0 | -17.6 | 14 | 172 | 12.3 | 2 | 3 | 54 | 0 | 0.66 |
| 2 | vsPittsburgh | W33-14 | 6.0 | 14 | 88 | 6.3 | 1 | 4 | 45 | 1 | 0.23 |
| 3 | vsGeorgia State | W56-0 | -14.0 | 10 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
| Season | Team | Line value | WEPA/play | YoY Δ | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Penn State | 3.9 | 0.340 | — | 97.9 |
| 2017 | Penn State | 5.2 | 0.410 | +0.07 | 98.4 |
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 18 · Rush Yds 137 · Avg 7.6 · Rush TD 2
| 47 |
| 4.7 |
| 0 |
| 4 |
| 142 |
| 1 |
| 0.63 |
| 4 | @Iowa | W21-19 | 9.8 | 28 | 211 | 7.5 | 1 | 12 | 94 | 0 | 0.29 |
| 5 | vsIndiana | W45-14 | 10.2 | 20 | 56 | 2.8 | 0 | 4 | 51 | 0 | 0.15 |
| 6 | @Northwestern | W31-7 | 11.2 | 16 | 75 | 4.7 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | -0.02 |
| 8 | vsMichigan | W42-13 | 19.6 | 15 | 108 | 7.2 | 2 | 3 | 53 | 1 | 0.24 |
| 9 | @Ohio State | L38-39 | 30.9 | 21 | 44 | 2.1 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 0 | -0.11 |
| 10 | @Michigan State | L24-27 | 13.8 | 14 | 63 | 4.5 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 0.38 |
| 11 | vsRutgers | W35-6 | -5.5 | 14 | 35 | 2.5 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 0 | -0.00 |
| 12 | vsNebraska | W56-44 | 2.5 | 17 | 158 | 9.3 | 3 | 6 | 66 | 0 | 0.92 |
| 13 | @Maryland | W66-3 | -4.5 | 16 | 77 | 4.8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0.23 |
| 1 | vsWashington | W35-28 | 22.1 | 18 | 137 | 7.6 | 2 | 7 | 38 | 0 | 0.34 |