Jonathan Ward is a Pass-Catching Back for Central Michigan. Jonathan's 2019 season ranks in the 63th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 196 plays — a average 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 |
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2017 | 240 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 98.4 |
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 | vsUAlbany | W38-21 | — | 22 | 158 | 7.2 | 2 | 3 | 53 | 0 | 0.35 |
| 2 | @Wisconsin | L0-61 | 20.3 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | -0.22 |
| 5 | @Western Michigan | L15-31 | -4.9 | 19 |
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 9 · Rush Yds 26 · Avg 2.9 · Rush TD 0
| 107 |
| 5.6 |
| 0 |
| 2 |
| 21 |
| 0 |
| 0.21 |
| 6 | vsEastern Michigan | W42-16 | -8.6 | 12 | 132 | 11.0 | 2 | 3 | 73 | 1 | 0.83 |
| 7 | vsNew Mexico State | W42-28 | -22.0 | 18 | 131 | 7.3 | 1 | 4 | 36 | 0 | -0.09 |
| 8 | @Bowling Green | W38-20 | -27.5 | 21 | 130 | 6.2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0.36 |
| 9 | @Buffalo | L20-43 | -2.0 | 14 | 64 | 4.6 | 1 | 5 | 39 | 0 | -0.02 |
| 10 | vsNorthern Illinois | W48-10 | -13.9 | 20 | 138 | 6.9 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 0 | — |
| 12 | @Ball State | W45-44 | -4.5 | 24 | 105 | 4.4 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 0.38 |
| 14 | vsToledo | W49-7 | -13.7 | 13 | 88 | 6.8 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.50 |
| 15 | vsMiami (OH) | L21-26 | -9.2 | 10 | 26 | 2.6 | 0 | 5 | 38 | 0 | -0.18 |
| 1 | vsSan Diego State | L11-48 | 2.0 | 9 | 26 | 2.9 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | -0.21 |