#3Malik Cunningham
Malik Cunningham is a 3-year Dual-Threat QB for Louisville. Malik's 2021 season ranks in the 90th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 469 plays — a elite rate for the QB. Malik's production has improved each season, a positive development trajectory.
2021 Production
Performance Analysis · 2021 · vs QB peers
A genuine rushing threat who stresses defenses horizontally. Extends plays with legs and forces extra gap assignments.
- ▸Top-10% efficiency among QBs — elite opponent-adjusted EPA rate.
- ▸High-volume role — one of the team's most-used QBs by play share.
- ▸Career trajectory is upward — WEPA value has improved season over season.
- ▸High game-to-game consistency — reliable floor each week.
- ▸9 high-impact games (EPA/play > 0.4) this season — elite ceiling.
- ▸Particularly dangerous on passing downs — efficiency spikes in obvious pass situations.
- ▸Strong second-half surge — EPA/play improved 0.09 from the first to second half of the season.
- ▸Peak game: 1.26 EPA/play in Wk 12 vs Duke (SP+ -14).
NIL Market Tier· 2021
On3 valuation ↗Top-10 nationally. Multiple mid-to-large collective deals expected.
Tier is a model estimate based on position, school brand, performance rank, and usage — not a reported deal. NIL deals are private. For a real market valuation, see On3's NIL profile, which factors in social following and actual deal tracking.
Historical Comparables · QB · efficiency + volume + value
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaidon Salter | Liberty | 2023 | 486 | 0.711 | 14.7 | 345.6 |
| Blake Sims | Alabama | 2014 | 473 | 0.696 | 15.4 | 329.4 |
| Tanner Mordecai | SMU | 2021 | 510 | 0.630 | 14.0 | 321.5 |
| Dillon Gabriel | Oklahoma | 2023 | 473 | 0.732 | 16.1 | 346.4 |
| Kyle Trask | Florida | 2020 | 536 | 0.648 | 16.3 | 347.5 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
Game Log · box score + EPA, week by week
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | C/ATT | Pass Yds | Pass TD | INT | QBR | Rush Yds | Rush TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsOle Miss | L24-43 | 14.8 | 22/37 | 191 | 1 | 1 | 53.0 | 79 | 2 | 0.50 |
| 2 | vsEastern Kentucky | W30-3 | — | 15/23 | 278 | 1 | 0 | 50.3 | 29 | 2 | 0.32 |
| 3 | vsUCF | W42-35 | 4.8 | 23/38 | 265 | 1 | 1 | 85.2 | 99 | 2 | 0.43 |
| 4 | @Florida State | W31-23 | 7.6 | 25/39 | 264 | 2 | 0 | 78.3 | 56 | 2 | 0.37 |
| 5 | @Wake Forest | L34-37 | 10.1 | 19/26 | 309 | 2 | 0 | 84.0 | 46 | 2 | 0.60 |
| 6 | vsVirginia | L33-34 | 7.2 | 17/25 | 270 | 1 | 0 | 86.9 | 38 | 0 | 0.61 |
| 8 | vsBoston College | W28-14 | 0.9 | 9/17 | 107 | 0 | 2 | 88.6 | 133 | 3 | 0.68 |
| 9 | @NC State | L13-28 | 16.1 | 11/28 | 219 | 1 | 1 | 58.1 | 76 | 0 | 0.20 |
| 10 | vsClemson | L24-30 | 18.7 | 12/20 | 174 | 0 | 0 | 83.7 | 134 | 2 | 0.41 |
| 11 | vsSyracuse | W41-3 | 0.3 | 13/18 | 209 | 4 | 0 | 97.9 | 19 | 1 | 0.81 |
| 12 | @Duke | W62-22 | -13.5 | 18/25 | 303 | 5 | 0 | 99.8 | 224 | 2 | 1.26 |
| 13 | vsKentucky | L21-52 | 13.4 | 12/20 | 145 | 0 | 1 | 39.1 | 35 | 1 | 0.19 |
| 1 | vsAir Force | L28-31 | 7.4 | 13/21 | 207 | 1 | 0 | 65.7 | 63 | 1 | 0.49 |
Usage & Situational · Pro
- Standard downs
- 0.46
- Passing downs
- 0.62
- Pass / Rush EPA
- 0.43 / 0.73
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Career · rolling EPA, game by game
| Season | Team | Line value | WEPA/play | YoY Δ | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Louisville | 9.1 | 0.639 | — | 207.2 |
| 2020 | Louisville | 7.9 | 0.472 | -0.17 | 217.8 |
| 2021 | Louisville | 14.7 | 0.681 | +0.21 | 341.6 |
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.