Derrick Henry is a Featured Back for Alabama. Derrick's 2015 season ranks in the 83th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 400 plays — a above-average 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tavion Thomas | Cincinnati | 2021 | 420 | 0.410 | 8.1 | 172.2 |
| Ashton Jeanty | Boise State | 2024 | 393 | 0.430 | 8.4 | 169.0 |
| Jay Ajayi | Boise State | 2014 | 370 | 0.370 | 6.7 | 136.9 |
| Chuba Hubbard | Oklahoma State | 2019 | 343 | 0.450 | 8.2 | 154.4 |
| Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin | 2019 | 338 | 0.420 | 6.8 | 142.0 |
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 | vsWisconsin | W35-17 | 15.1 | 13 | 147 | 11.3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0.93 |
| 2 | vsMiddle Tennessee | W37-10 | -4.6 | 18 | 96 | 5.3 |
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 20 · Rush Yds 75 · Avg 3.8 · Rush TD 2
| 3 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.38 |
| 3 | vsOle Miss | L37-43 | 27.0 | 23 | 127 | 5.5 | 1 | 5 | 39 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 4 | vsUL Monroe | W34-0 | -14.7 | 13 | 52 | 4.0 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.23 |
| 5 | @Georgia | W38-10 | 16.8 | 26 | 148 | 5.7 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.04 |
| 6 | vsArkansas | W27-14 | 19.2 | 27 | 95 | 3.5 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.08 |
| 7 | @Texas A&M | W41-23 | 14.1 | 32 | 236 | 7.4 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0.45 |
| 8 | vsTennessee | W19-14 | 19.5 | 28 | 143 | 5.1 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.26 |
| 10 | vsLSU | W30-16 | 19.7 | 38 | 210 | 5.5 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.24 |
| 11 | @Mississippi State | W31-6 | 15.1 | 22 | 204 | 9.3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.37 |
| 12 | vsCharleston Southern | W56-6 | — | 9 | 68 | 7.6 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 1.10 |
| 13 | @Auburn | W29-13 | 14.6 | 46 | 271 | 5.9 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.20 |
| 14 | vsFlorida | W29-15 | 13.8 | 44 | 189 | 4.3 | 1 | — | — | — | -0.11 |
| 1 | vsClemson | W45-40 | 24.0 | 36 | 158 | 4.4 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.07 |
| 1 | vsMichigan State | W38-0 | 15.6 | 20 | 75 | 3.8 | 2 | 1 | -6 | 0 | 0.07 |
