Pooka Williams Jr. is a Pass-Catching Back for Kansas. Pooka's 2018 season ranks in the 18th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 168 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
Third-down weapon out of the backfield. Routes, hands, and separation in coverage define this role as much as rushing.
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 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | @Central Michigan | W31-7 | -20.0 | 14 | 125 | 8.9 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.43 |
| 3 | vsRutgers | W55-14 | -12.3 | 18 | 158 | 8.8 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0.17 |
| 4 | @Baylor | L7-26 | 2.0 | 14 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 16 · Rush Yds 103 · Avg 6.4 · Rush TD 1
| 89 |
| 6.4 |
| 0 |
| 1 |
| 5 |
| 0 |
| 0.32 |
| 5 | vsOklahoma State | L28-48 | 13.8 | 13 | 97 | 7.5 | 1 | 6 | 60 | 0 | 0.31 |
| 6 | @West Virginia | L22-38 | 13.2 | 12 | 65 | 5.4 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 0.06 |
| 8 | @Texas Tech | L16-48 | 8.7 | 16 | 70 | 4.4 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 0 | -0.03 |
| 9 | vsTCU | W27-26 | 6.9 | 11 | 33 | 3.0 | 0 | 7 | 102 | 2 | 0.63 |
| 10 | vsIowa State | L3-27 | 7.9 | 17 | 58 | 3.4 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 0 | — |
| 11 | @Kansas State | L17-21 | -0.5 | 14 | 59 | 4.2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.30 |
| 12 | @Oklahoma | L40-55 | 24.9 | 15 | 252 | 16.8 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 0.88 |
| 13 | vsTexas | L17-24 | 11.3 | 16 | 103 | 6.4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0.41 |
