John Kelly is a Pass-Catching Back for Tennessee. John's 2017 season ranks in the 0th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 227 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
Third-down weapon out of the backfield. Routes, hands, and separation in coverage define this role as much as rushing.
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 |
| Donnel Pumphrey | San Diego State | 2016 | 344 | 0.320 | 4.2 | 110.1 |
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 | vsGeorgia Tech | W42-41 | 8.9 | 19 | 128 | 6.7 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 0 | 0.36 |
| 2 | vsIndiana State | W42-7 | — | 18 | 80 | 4.4 | 0 | 5 | 60 | 0 | 0.28 |
| 3 | @Florida | L20-26 | 10.1 | 19 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 10 · Rush Yds 20 · Avg 2.0 · Rush TD 1
| 141 |
| 7.4 |
| 1 |
| 6 |
| 96 |
| 0 |
| 0.37 |
| 4 | vsMassachusetts | W17-13 | -9.7 | 25 | 101 | 4.0 | 1 | 2 | -9 | 0 | 0.02 |
| 5 | vsGeorgia | L0-41 | 26.7 | 16 | 44 | 2.8 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 0 | -0.11 |
| 7 | vsSouth Carolina | L9-15 | 7.8 | 16 | 58 | 3.6 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0 | -0.14 |
| 8 | @Alabama | L7-45 | 33.5 | 12 | 63 | 5.3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.16 |
| 10 | vsSouthern Miss | W24-10 | -3.4 | 20 | 79 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | -5 | 0 | -0.07 |
| 11 | @Missouri | L17-50 | 11.1 | 9 | 17 | 1.9 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 0 | -0.41 |
| 12 | vsLSU | L10-30 | 21.1 | 25 | 47 | 1.9 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 0 | -0.02 |
| 13 | vsVanderbilt | L24-42 | 0.6 | 10 | 20 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | -0.02 |
