Clayton Thorson is a 2-year Dual-Threat QB for Northwestern. Clayton's 2016 season ranks in the 5th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 573 plays — a developing rate for the QB.
A genuine rushing threat who stresses defenses horizontally. Extends plays with legs and forces extra gap assignments.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Travis | Florida State | 2021 | 690 | 0.476 | 10.1 | 328.3 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | C/ATT | Pass Yds | Pass TD | INT | QBR | Rush Yds | Rush TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsWestern Michigan | L21-22 | 11.5 | 15/22 | 196 | 0 | 0 | 48.9 | -8 | 0 | 0.30 |
| 2 | vsIllinois State | L7-9 | — | 17/41 | 191 | 1 | 0 | 29.2 | 30 | 0 | 0.04 |
| 3 | vsDuke | W24-13 | -2.8 | 18/39 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
| Season | Team | Line value | WEPA/play | YoY Δ | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Northwestern | 5.3 | 0.376 | — | 206.3 |
| 2018 | Northwestern | 2.8 | 0.331 | -0.04 | 196.4 |
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.
C/ATT 23/36 · Pass Yds 214 · Pass TD 1 · INT 1
| 320 |
| 3 |
| 2 |
| 49.4 |
| -24 |
| 0 |
| 0.10 |
| 4 | vsNebraska | L13-24 | 10.3 | 24/37 | 249 | 1 | 2 | 58.0 | 43 | 1 | 0.19 |
| 5 | @Iowa | W38-31 | 10.3 | 18/30 | 164 | 3 | 0 | 81.5 | 11 | 1 | 0.38 |
| 7 | @Michigan State | W54-40 | 7.4 | 27/35 | 281 | 3 | 1 | 81.3 | 12 | 1 | 0.43 |
| 8 | vsIndiana | W24-14 | 4.6 | 24/43 | 285 | 3 | 0 | 76.7 | 22 | 0 | 0.27 |
| 9 | @Ohio State | L20-24 | 22.4 | 22/42 | 256 | 1 | 1 | 85.8 | 44 | 1 | 0.39 |
| 10 | vsWisconsin | L7-21 | 16.1 | 28/52 | 277 | 1 | 0 | 33.3 | -3 | 0 | 0.15 |
| 11 | @Purdue | W45-17 | -11.0 | 23/36 | 352 | 3 | 2 | 85.4 | 2 | 1 | 0.49 |
| 12 | @Minnesota | L12-29 | 12.6 | 28/45 | 276 | 1 | 0 | 21.0 | -26 | 0 | -0.02 |
| 13 | vsIllinois | W42-21 | -6.7 | 13/20 | 121 | 1 | 0 | 37.7 | -21 | 0 | 0.14 |
| 1 | vsPittsburgh | W31-24 | 13.1 | 23/36 | 214 | 1 | 1 | 52.3 | 16 | 0 | 0.26 |