Ezekiel Elliott is a 2-year Featured Back for Ohio State. Ezekiel's 2014 season ranks in the 88th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 285 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashaad Penny | San Diego State | 2017 | 294 | 0.470 | 7.7 | 138.2 |
| J.K. Dobbins | Ohio State | 2019 | 318 | 0.510 | 8.4 | 162.2 |
| Devin Singletary | Florida Atlantic | 2017 | 319 | 0.500 | 8.4 | 159.5 |
| Bryce Love | Stanford | 2017 | 284 | 0.460 | 6.7 | 130.6 |
| Samaje Perine | Oklahoma | 2014 | 282 | 0.430 | 6.8 | 121.3 |
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 | vsNavy | W34-17 | 3.4 | 12 | 44 | 3.7 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.17 |
| 2 | vsVirginia Tech | L21-35 | 7.8 | 8 | 32 | 4.0 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
| Season | Team | Line value | WEPA/play | YoY Δ | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Ohio State | 7.8 | 0.520 | — | 151.8 |
| 2015 | Ohio State | 8.6 | 0.480 | -0.04 | 149.3 |
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 230 · Avg 11.5 · Rush TD 2
| 1 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.22 |
| 3 | vsKent State | W66-0 | -13.7 | 7 | 65 | 9.3 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 0 | 0.87 |
| 5 | vsCincinnati | W50-28 | 6.9 | 28 | 182 | 6.5 | 1 | 5 | 51 | 0 | 0.55 |
| 6 | @Maryland | W52-24 | 5.7 | 24 | 139 | 5.8 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.20 |
| 8 | vsRutgers | W56-17 | -1.5 | 12 | 69 | 5.8 | 1 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 0.14 |
| 9 | @Penn State | W31-24 | 9.2 | 26 | 109 | 4.2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.13 |
| 10 | vsIllinois | W55-14 | 0.4 | 9 | 69 | 7.7 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0.24 |
| 11 | @Michigan State | W49-37 | 24.1 | 23 | 154 | 6.7 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.39 |
| 12 | @Minnesota | W31-24 | 6.8 | 18 | 91 | 5.1 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 0.29 |
| 13 | vsIndiana | W42-27 | 1.8 | 13 | 107 | 8.2 | 1 | 7 | 39 | 0 | 0.24 |
| 14 | vsMichigan | W42-28 | 8.2 | 17 | 121 | 7.1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.38 |
| 15 | vsWisconsin | W59-0 | 20.8 | 20 | 220 | 11.0 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.54 |
| 1 | vsOregon | W42-20 | 24.7 | 36 | 246 | 6.8 | 4 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0.48 |
| 1 | vsAlabama | W42-35 | 34.3 | 20 | 230 | 11.5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0.48 |