Josh Atkinson is a Slot Specialist WR for Tulsa. Josh's 2016 season ranks in the 100th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 104 plays — a elite rate for the WR.
The offense's primary passing-down weapon — routes, separation, and reliability on 3rd down define this 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadree Henderson | Pittsburgh | 2016 | 63 | 0.530 | 1.6 | 33.4 |
| DeAndre Hughes | Air Force | 2021 | 60 | 0.470 | 1.3 | 28.2 |
| Keytaon Thompson | Mississippi State | 2017 | 70 | 0.460 | 1.2 | 32.2 |
| Savion Williams | TCU | 2024 | 56 | 0.450 | 1.1 | 25.2 |
| Javion Posey | Florida Atlantic | 2020 | 53 | 0.450 | 1.4 | 23.8 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Rec | Rec Yds | Avg | Rec TD | Long | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsSan José State | W45-10 | -13.6 | 2 | 42 | 21.0 | 0 | 33 | 0.28 |
| 2 | @Ohio State | L3-48 | 22.4 | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 0 | 15 | 0.70 |
| 3 | vsNorth Carolina A&T | W58-21 | — | 5 | 52 | 10.4 | 0 | 19 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Rec 12 · Rec Yds 131 · Avg 10.9 · Rec TD 1
| 0.62 |
| 4 | @Fresno State | W48-41 | -16.9 | 10 | 107 | 10.7 | 1 | 24 | 0.84 |
| 6 | vsSMU | W43-40 | -10.8 | 11 | 115 | 10.5 | 1 | 18 | 0.86 |
| 7 | @Houston | L31-38 | 10.1 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 23 | -0.01 |
| 8 | vsTulane | W50-27 | -14.6 | 7 | 142 | 20.3 | 1 | 49 | 1.13 |
| 9 | @Memphis | W59-30 | 7.7 | 4 | 72 | 18.0 | 0 | 28 | 0.66 |
| 10 | vsEast Carolina | W45-24 | -9.0 | 10 | 123 | 12.3 | 2 | 64 | 0.51 |
| 11 | @Navy | L40-42 | 6.8 | 5 | 102 | 20.4 | 1 | 56 | 1.08 |
| 12 | @UCF | W35-20 | -2.2 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 1 | 15 | 0.90 |
| 13 | vsCincinnati | W40-37 | -3.6 | 6 | 96 | 16.0 | 0 | 22 | 0.91 |
| 1 | vsCentral Michigan | W55-10 | -6.1 | 12 | 131 | 10.9 | 1 | 30 | 0.53 |