Israel Abanikanda is a Explosive Back for Pittsburgh. Israel's 2021 season ranks in the 30th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 130 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
Elite per-carry efficiency — breaks big runs and creates chunk plays at a top rate while in a limited role.
Top-10 nationally. Multiple mid-to-large collective deals expected.
Tier is a model estimate based on position, school brand, performance rank, and usage — not a reported deal. NIL deals are private. For a real market valuation, see On3's NIL profile, which factors in social following and actual deal tracking.
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 |
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
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 | vsMassachusetts | W51-7 | -29.3 | 7 | 30 | 4.3 | 1 | — | — | — | 1.16 |
| 2 | @Tennessee | W41-34 | 17.5 | 12 | 43 | 3.6 | 0 |
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 5 · Rush Yds 16 · Avg 3.2 · Rush TD 0
| 4 |
| 18 |
| 0 |
| -0.03 |
| 3 | vsWestern Michigan | L41-44 | 0.6 | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.39 |
| 4 | vsNew Hampshire | W77-7 | — | 13 | 75 | 5.8 | 1 | 4 | 55 | 0 | 0.61 |
| 5 | @Georgia Tech | W52-21 | -6.7 | 15 | 60 | 4.0 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 7 | @Virginia Tech | W28-7 | 2.4 | 21 | 140 | 6.7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.32 |
| 8 | vsClemson | W27-17 | 18.7 | 9 | 56 | 6.2 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0.19 |
| 9 | vsMiami | L34-38 | 10.8 | 6 | 28 | 4.7 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 1 | 0.11 |
| 10 | @Duke | W54-29 | -13.5 | 10 | 67 | 6.7 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 11 | vsNorth Carolina | W30-23 | 6.4 | 12 | 63 | 5.3 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 0.40 |
| 12 | vsVirginia | W48-38 | 7.2 | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0.65 |
| 14 | vsWake Forest | W45-21 | 10.1 | 9 | 55 | 6.1 | 2 | 1 | -3 | 0 | 0.38 |
| 1 | vsMichigan State | L21-31 | 11.2 | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.02 |