Shadrach Thornton is a Explosive Back for NC State. Shadrach's 2014 season ranks in the 18th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 157 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
Elite per-carry efficiency — breaks big runs and creates chunk plays at a top rate while in a limited 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 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
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 | vsGeorgia Southern | W24-23 | -2.4 | 10 | 73 | 7.3 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.04 |
| 2 | vsOld Dominion | W46-34 | -12.7 | 14 | 86 | 6.1 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 17 · Rush Yds 96 · Avg 5.6 · Rush TD 0
| 3 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.60 |
| 3 | @South Florida | W49-17 | -11.8 | 12 | 70 | 5.8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.27 |
| 4 | vsPresbyterian | W42-0 | — | 6 | 54 | 9.0 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.46 |
| 5 | vsFlorida State | L41-56 | 28.5 | 18 | 85 | 4.7 | 2 | 7 | 60 | 0 | 0.46 |
| 6 | @Clemson | L0-41 | 18.1 | 6 | 39 | 6.5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0.36 |
| 7 | vsBoston College | L14-30 | 4.9 | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.16 |
| 8 | @Louisville | L18-30 | 17.0 | 13 | 54 | 4.2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -0.07 |
| 10 | @Syracuse | W24-17 | -2.1 | 10 | 21 | 2.1 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 1 | 0.07 |
| 11 | vsGeorgia Tech | L23-56 | 11.2 | 10 | 42 | 4.2 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 12 | vsWake Forest | W42-13 | -7.8 | 16 | 110 | 6.9 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.39 |
| 14 | @North Carolina | W35-7 | 0.0 | 28 | 161 | 5.8 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.17 |
| 1 | vsUCF | W34-27 | 5.7 | 17 | 96 | 5.6 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.26 |
