Karan Higdon is a 2-year Explosive Back for Michigan. Karan's 2017 season ranks in the 70th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 174 plays — a average 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2017 | 240 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 98.4 |
| Nick Wilson | Arizona | 2014 | 250 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 102.5 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
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 | vsFlorida | W33-17 | 10.1 | 7 | 28 | 4.0 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.18 |
| 2 | vsCincinnati | W36-14 | -6.4 | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.05 |
| 3 | vsAir Force | W29-13 | -11.0 | 12 |
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 17 · Rush Yds 65 · Avg 3.8 · Rush TD 0
| 64 |
| 5.3 |
| 1 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.20 |
| 4 | @Purdue | W28-10 | 5.8 | 10 | 31 | 3.1 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 0 | -0.38 |
| 6 | vsMichigan State | L10-14 | 13.8 | 12 | 65 | 5.4 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 0 | 0.57 |
| 7 | @Indiana | W27-20 | 10.2 | 25 | 200 | 8.0 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.23 |
| 8 | @Penn State | L13-42 | 26.0 | 15 | 45 | 3.0 | 1 | — | — | — | -0.01 |
| 9 | vsRutgers | W35-14 | -5.5 | 18 | 158 | 8.8 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.65 |
| 10 | vsMinnesota | W33-10 | 0.4 | 16 | 200 | 12.5 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.95 |
| 11 | @Maryland | W35-10 | -4.5 | 10 | 50 | 5.0 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 0 | 0.41 |
| 12 | @Wisconsin | L10-24 | 26.8 | 7 | 20 | 2.9 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.26 |
| 13 | vsOhio State | L20-31 | 30.9 | 11 | 55 | 5.0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0.29 |
| 1 | vsSouth Carolina | L19-26 | 7.8 | 17 | 65 | 3.8 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | -0.37 |
