Wendell Smallwood is a Pass-Catching Back for West Virginia. Wendell's 2014 season ranks in the 0th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 186 plays — a developing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
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 | vsAlabama | L23-33 | 34.3 | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | 0 | 6 | 73 | 0 | 0.38 |
| 2 | vsTowson | W54-0 | — | 8 | 33 | 4.1 | 1 | 3 | 55 | 0 | 0.43 |
| 3 | @Maryland | W40-37 | 5.7 | 10 |
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 8 · Rush Yds 77 · Avg 9.6 · Rush TD 0
| 28 |
| 2.8 |
| 0 |
| 4 |
| 72 |
| 0 |
| -0.06 |
| 4 | vsOklahoma | L33-45 | 19.2 | 9 | 38 | 4.2 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 0 | 0.49 |
| 6 | vsKansas | W33-14 | -9.8 | 10 | 47 | 4.7 | 0 | 1 | -4 | 0 | -0.21 |
| 7 | @Texas Tech | W37-34 | 4.9 | 15 | 123 | 8.2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.34 |
| 8 | vsBaylor | W41-27 | 23.9 | 20 | 66 | 3.3 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0.04 |
| 9 | @Oklahoma State | W34-10 | 8.6 | 23 | 132 | 5.7 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0.29 |
| 10 | vsTCU | L30-31 | 23.3 | 15 | 64 | 4.3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.15 |
| 11 | @Texas | L16-33 | 9.0 | 13 | 45 | 3.5 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 0 | -0.20 |
| 13 | vsKansas State | L20-26 | 16.3 | 5 | 27 | 5.4 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 0 | -0.29 |
| 14 | @Iowa State | W37-24 | -7.9 | 7 | 33 | 4.7 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | -0.10 |
| 1 | vsTexas A&M | L37-45 | 20.2 | 8 | 77 | 9.6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0.15 |