David Cobb is a Featured Back for Minnesota. David's 2014 season ranks in the 10th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 331 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donnel Pumphrey | San Diego State | 2016 | 344 | 0.320 | 4.2 | 110.1 |
| Eno Benjamin | Arizona State | 2018 | 316 | 0.330 | 4.6 | 104.3 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Jeremy McNichols | Boise State | 2016 | 340 | 0.330 | 4.7 | 112.2 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
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 | vsEastern Illinois | W42-20 | — | 14 | 71 | 5.1 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 2 | vsMiddle Tennessee | W35-24 | -8.7 | 29 | 220 | 7.6 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.52 |
| 3 | @TCU | L7-30 | 23.3 | 15 |
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 21 · Rush Yds 81 · Avg 3.9 · Rush TD 0
| 41 |
| 2.7 |
| 0 |
| 1 |
| 16 |
| 0 |
| -0.34 |
| 4 | vsSan José State | W24-7 | -11.5 | 34 | 207 | 6.1 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.22 |
| 5 | @Michigan | W30-14 | 8.2 | 32 | 183 | 5.7 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 7 | vsNorthwestern | W24-17 | 1.5 | 30 | 97 | 3.2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | -0.09 |
| 8 | vsPurdue | W39-38 | -6.2 | 35 | 194 | 5.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.05 |
| 9 | @Illinois | L24-28 | 0.4 | 22 | 118 | 5.4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.10 |
| 11 | vsIowa | W51-14 | 6.8 | 16 | 74 | 4.6 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.30 |
| 12 | vsOhio State | L24-31 | 25.8 | 27 | 145 | 5.4 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.34 |
| 13 | @Nebraska | W28-24 | 13.1 | 15 | 80 | 5.3 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 0.17 |
| 14 | @Wisconsin | L24-34 | 20.8 | 25 | 118 | 4.7 | 1 | — | — | — | -0.11 |
| 1 | vsMissouri | L17-33 | 19.3 | 21 | 81 | 3.9 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 0 | 0.01 |
