Sam Howell is a 3-year Dual-Threat QB for North Carolina. Sam's 2020 season ranks in the 78th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 429 plays — a above-average rate for the QB. Production has trended downward season-over-season on adjusted value metrics.
Recruiting data from CFBD/247Sports composite. Sourced from the player's signing-class team — transfers show original school's class.
A genuine rushing threat who stresses defenses horizontally. Extends plays with legs and forces extra gap assignments.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | 2022 | 509 | 0.635 | 12.4 | 323.0 |
| Tanner Mordecai | SMU | 2021 | 510 | 0.630 | 14.0 | 321.5 |
| Kaidon Salter | Liberty | 2023 | 486 | 0.711 | 14.7 | 345.6 |
| Malik Cunningham | Louisville | 2021 | 502 | 0.681 | 14.7 | 341.6 |
| Ryan Higgins | Louisiana Tech | 2016 | 571 | 0.586 | 13.7 | 334.6 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | C/ATT | Pass Yds | Pass TD | INT | Rush Yds | Rush TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | vsSyracuse | W31-6 | -9.8 | 25/34 | 295 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0.43 |
| 5 | @Boston College | W26-22 | 0.9 | 14/26 | 225 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0.31 |
| 6 | vsVirginia Tech | W56-45 | 13.7 | 18/23 | 257 | 3 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
| Season | Team | Line value | WEPA/play | YoY Δ | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | North Carolina | 12.9 | 0.580 | — | 316.3 |
| 2020 | North Carolina | 11.3 | 0.581 | +0.00 | 263.9 |
| 2021 | North Carolina | 7.8 | 0.480 | -0.10 | 270.4 |
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.
C/ATT 18/31 · Pass Yds 234 · Pass TD 3 · INT 1
| 0 |
| 19 |
| 0 |
| 0.80 |
| 7 | @Florida State | L28-31 | -4.9 | 20/36 | 374 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.12 |
| 8 | vsNC State | W48-21 | 0.0 | 18/29 | 252 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0.40 |
| 9 | @Virginia | L41-44 | 0.9 | 23/28 | 443 | 4 | 0 | -25 | 0 | 0.61 |
| 10 | @Duke | W56-24 | -4.2 | 18/27 | 235 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 0.54 |
| 11 | vsWake Forest | W59-53 | 0.8 | 32/45 | 550 | 6 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 0.73 |
| 13 | vsNotre Dame | L17-31 | 21.0 | 17/27 | 211 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.32 |
| 14 | vsWestern Carolina | W49-9 | — | 20/23 | 287 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0.68 |
| 15 | @Miami | W62-26 | 12.8 | 14/19 | 223 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.67 |
| 1 | vsTexas A&M | L27-41 | 16.2 | 18/31 | 234 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 0.29 |