Cody Kessler is a 2-year Clutch Passer for USC. Cody's 2014 season ranks in the 83th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 478 plays — a above-average rate for the QB.
Elevates on passing downs — 3rd-and-medium, two-minute drills, and pressure situations are where this QB is best.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Mordecai | SMU | 2021 | 510 | 0.630 | 14.0 | 321.5 |
| Malik Cunningham | Louisville | 2021 | 502 | 0.681 | 14.7 | 341.6 |
| Kaidon Salter | Liberty | 2023 | 486 | 0.711 | 14.7 | 345.6 |
| Blake Sims | Alabama | 2014 | 473 | 0.696 | 15.4 | 329.4 |
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | 2022 | 509 | 0.635 | 12.4 | 323.0 |
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 | vsFresno State | W52-13 | -6.9 | 25/37 | 394 | 4 | 0 | 97.6 | 28 | 1 | 0.83 |
| 2 | @Stanford | W13-10 | 21.4 | 15/22 | 135 | 0 | 0 | 51.0 | -20 | 0 | 0.19 |
| 3 | @Boston College | L31-37 | 4.9 | 31/41 |
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.
C/ATT 23/39 · Pass Yds 321 · Pass TD 3 · INT 1
| 317 |
| 4 |
| 0 |
| 54.5 |
| -30 |
| 0 |
| 0.37 |
| 5 | vsOregon State | W35-10 | 3.2 | 24/32 | 261 | 2 | 0 | 68.9 | -25 | 0 | 0.40 |
| 6 | vsArizona State | L34-38 | 13.5 | 28/45 | 273 | 0 | 0 | 55.7 | 6 | 1 | 0.15 |
| 7 | @Arizona | W28-26 | 7.6 | 20/30 | 185 | 1 | 1 | 63.6 | 6 | 0 | 0.22 |
| 8 | vsColorado | W56-28 | -5.0 | 19/26 | 319 | 7 | 0 | 97.0 | -20 | 0 | 0.78 |
| 9 | @Utah | L21-24 | 8.8 | 24/32 | 264 | 2 | 1 | 66.7 | -14 | 0 | 0.51 |
| 10 | @Washington State | W44-17 | -1.7 | 21/32 | 400 | 5 | 0 | 86.0 | -19 | 0 | 0.73 |
| 12 | vsCalifornia | W38-30 | -0.6 | 31/42 | 371 | 4 | 1 | 93.7 | -24 | 0 | 0.45 |
| 13 | @UCLA | L20-38 | 17.7 | 22/34 | 214 | 1 | 1 | 18.9 | -40 | 0 | -0.01 |
| 14 | vsNotre Dame | W49-14 | 10.8 | 32/40 | 372 | 6 | 0 | 94.8 | 3 | 0 | 0.78 |
| 1 | vsNebraska | W45-42 | 13.1 | 23/39 | 321 | 3 | 1 | 43.6 | -3 | 0 | 0.27 |
