Maleek Irons is a Explosive Back for Ohio. Maleek's 2018 season ranks in the 57th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 124 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 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
| 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 | vsHoward | W38-32 | — | 9 | 52 | 5.8 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.24 |
| 3 | @Virginia | L31-45 | 7.1 | 11 | 43 | 3.9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.44 |
| 4 | @Cincinnati | L30-34 | 5.4 | 12 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 18 · Rush Yds 126 · Avg 7.0 · Rush TD 0
| 64 |
| 5.3 |
| 0 |
| 2 |
| 20 |
| 1 |
| 0.28 |
| 5 | vsMassachusetts | W58-42 | -16.1 | 13 | 140 | 10.8 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.71 |
| 7 | @Northern Illinois | L21-24 | -2.7 | 11 | 30 | 2.7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | -0.32 |
| 8 | vsBowling Green | W49-14 | -22.0 | 12 | 116 | 9.7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.45 |
| 9 | vsBall State | W52-14 | -18.9 | 16 | 102 | 6.4 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.58 |
| 10 | @Western Michigan | W59-14 | -10.7 | 8 | 49 | 6.1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.33 |
| 11 | @Miami (OH) | L28-30 | -0.7 | 4 | 17 | 4.3 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.50 |
| 12 | vsBuffalo | W52-17 | -1.1 | 12 | 92 | 7.7 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.53 |
| 13 | vsAkron | W49-28 | -19.3 | 18 | 126 | 7.0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.33 |
