James Butler is a Explosive Back for Nevada. James's 2015 season ranks in the 23th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 219 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.
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 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
| Hassan Haskins | Michigan | 2021 | 280 | 0.380 | 4.8 | 106.4 |
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 | vsUC Davis | W31-17 | — | 14 | 65 | 4.6 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.07 |
| 2 | vsArizona | L20-44 | 4.7 | 9 | 33 | 3.7 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | -0.03 |
| 3 | @Texas A&M | L27-44 | 14.1 | 17 |
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 24 · Rush Yds 189 · Avg 7.9 · Rush TD 2
| 107 |
| 6.3 |
| 0 |
| 1 |
| 3 |
| 0 |
| 0.02 |
| 4 | @Buffalo | W24-21 | -10.3 | 16 | 177 | 11.1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.41 |
| 5 | vsUNLV | L17-23 | -16.2 | 10 | 44 | 4.4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0.26 |
| 6 | vsNew Mexico | W35-17 | -8.7 | 21 | 145 | 6.9 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 0 | 0.12 |
| 7 | @Wyoming | L21-28 | -16.7 | 10 | 51 | 5.1 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.07 |
| 8 | vsHawai'i | W30-20 | -16.3 | 28 | 134 | 4.8 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.23 |
| 10 | @Fresno State | W30-16 | -12.6 | 18 | 122 | 6.8 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0.20 |
| 11 | vsSan José State | W37-34 | -4.5 | 16 | 119 | 7.4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.31 |
| 12 | @Utah State | L27-31 | -0.1 | 17 | 139 | 8.2 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.26 |
| 13 | @San Diego State | L14-31 | 8.0 | 8 | 20 | 2.5 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.18 |
| 1 | vsColorado State | W28-23 | 0.5 | 24 | 189 | 7.9 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.40 |
