Thomas Rawls is a Featured Back for Central Michigan. Thomas's 2014 season ranks in the 18th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 225 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 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
| Hassan Haskins | Michigan | 2021 | 280 | 0.380 | 4.8 | 106.4 |
| 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 | vsChattanooga | W20-16 | — | 25 | 121 | 4.8 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2 | @Purdue | W38-17 | -6.2 | 31 | 155 | 5.0 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 0 | 0.33 |
| 5 | @Toledo | L28-42 | 2.3 | 17 |
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 19 · Rush Yds 76 · Avg 4.0 · Rush TD 0
| 65 |
| 3.8 |
| 2 |
| 1 |
| 4 |
| 0 |
| 0.06 |
| 6 | vsOhio | W28-10 | -11.7 | 40 | 229 | 5.7 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0.39 |
| 7 | @Northern Illinois | W34-17 | -0.6 | 40 | 270 | 6.8 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.28 |
| 8 | vsBall State | L29-32 | -6.6 | 32 | 167 | 5.2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | -0.20 |
| 9 | @Buffalo | W20-14 | -7.7 | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.61 |
| 12 | vsMiami (OH) | W34-27 | -18.7 | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.17 |
| 13 | vsWestern Michigan | L20-32 | -0.8 | 19 | 76 | 4.0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | -0.28 |