D.J. Knox is a Committee Back for Purdue. D.J.'s 2018 season ranks in the 0th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 166 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
Part of a rotation — contributes in a complementary role and keeps the featured back fresh.
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 |
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 | vsNorthwestern | L27-31 | 1.9 | 7 | 77 | 11.0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0.58 |
| 2 | vsEastern Michigan | L19-20 | -2.0 | 21 | 152 | 7.2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0.23 |
| 3 | vsMissouri | L37-40 | 20.8 | 7 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 7 · Rush Yds 15 · Avg 2.1 · Rush TD 0
| 23 |
| 3.3 |
| 0 |
| 2 |
| 6 |
| 0 |
| -0.25 |
| 4 | vsBoston College | W30-13 | 2.4 | 20 | 51 | 2.5 | 1 | — | — | — | -0.16 |
| 5 | @Nebraska | W42-28 | 5.4 | 15 | 87 | 5.8 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 7 | @Illinois | W46-7 | -7.9 | 17 | 150 | 8.8 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0.42 |
| 8 | vsOhio State | W49-20 | 24.1 | 16 | 128 | 8.0 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 0.55 |
| 9 | @Michigan State | L13-23 | 11.5 | 7 | 51 | 7.3 | 0 | 5 | 32 | 0 | 0.32 |
| 10 | vsIowa | W38-36 | 13.3 | 9 | 34 | 3.8 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 0 | -0.01 |
| 11 | @Minnesota | L10-41 | 6.3 | 10 | 34 | 3.4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | -0.15 |
| 12 | vsWisconsin | L44-47 | 15.5 | 11 | 39 | 3.5 | 0 | 5 | 49 | 1 | 0.09 |
| 13 | @Indiana | W28-21 | 1.6 | 10 | 42 | 4.2 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 | -0.65 |
| 1 | vsAuburn | L14-63 | 23.6 | 7 | 15 | 2.1 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.24 |
