Marcel Murray is a Explosive Back for Arkansas State. Marcel's 2018 season ranks in the 18th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 144 plays — a developing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
| 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 | vsSoutheast Missouri State | W48-21 | — | 10 | 54 | 5.4 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 1 | 0.66 |
| 2 | @Alabama | L7-57 | 36.3 | 7 | 34 | 4.9 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | @Tulsa | W29-20 | -11.2 | 9 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 17 · Rush Yds 67 · Avg 3.9 · Rush TD 1
| 36 |
| 4.0 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 12 |
| 0 |
| 0.28 |
| 4 | vsUNLV | W27-20 | -11.1 | 8 | 95 | 11.9 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.50 |
| 5 | @Georgia Southern | L21-28 | -2.4 | 10 | 42 | 4.2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -0.10 |
| 7 | vsApp State | L9-35 | 11.9 | 11 | 37 | 3.4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 8 | vsGeorgia State | W51-35 | -20.4 | 11 | 115 | 10.5 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0.83 |
| 9 | @Louisiana | L43-47 | -6.9 | 19 | 121 | 6.4 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.51 |
| 10 | vsSouth Alabama | W38-14 | -17.7 | 11 | 40 | 3.6 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | -0.28 |
| 11 | @Coastal Carolina | W44-16 | -17.2 | 9 | 65 | 7.2 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 1 | 0.69 |
| 12 | vsUL Monroe | W31-17 | -10.9 | 17 | 94 | 5.5 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 0.01 |
| 13 | @Texas State | W33-7 | -16.4 | 15 | 60 | 4.0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | -0.01 |
| 1 | vsNevada | L13-16 | -0.5 | 17 | 67 | 3.9 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.13 |