Alex Barnes is a Featured Back for Kansas State. Alex's 2018 season ranks in the 20th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 282 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 |
| Eno Benjamin | Arizona State | 2018 | 316 | 0.330 | 4.6 | 104.3 |
| Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin | 2017 | 307 | 0.350 | 4.8 | 107.4 |
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 | vsSouth Dakota | W27-24 | — | 21 | 103 | 4.9 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | -0.19 |
| 2 | vsMississippi State | L10-31 | 23.2 | 17 | 75 | 4.4 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0 | -0.04 |
| 3 | vsUTSA | W41-17 | -22.1 | 13 |
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 28 · Rush Yds 184 · Avg 6.6 · Rush TD 1
| 50 |
| 3.8 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 30 |
| 0 |
| 0.55 |
| 4 | @West Virginia | L6-35 | 13.2 | 12 | 49 | 4.1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.08 |
| 5 | vsTexas | L14-19 | 11.3 | 19 | 80 | 4.2 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.20 |
| 6 | @Baylor | L34-37 | 2.0 | 22 | 250 | 11.4 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0.63 |
| 7 | vsOklahoma State | W31-12 | 13.8 | 34 | 181 | 5.3 | 4 | 3 | 51 | 0 | 0.47 |
| 9 | @Oklahoma | L14-51 | 24.9 | 13 | 28 | 2.2 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.28 |
| 10 | @TCU | L13-14 | 6.9 | 23 | 102 | 4.4 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0.06 |
| 11 | vsKansas | W21-17 | -10.0 | 22 | 117 | 5.3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0.41 |
| 12 | vsTexas Tech | W21-6 | 8.7 | 32 | 136 | 4.3 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | -0.06 |
| 13 | @Iowa State | L38-42 | 7.9 | 28 | 184 | 6.6 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0.24 |