Sam James is a Slot Specialist WR for West Virginia. Sam's 2022 season ranks in the 100th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 60 plays — a elite rate for the WR.
The offense's primary passing-down weapon — routes, separation, and reliability on 3rd down define this role.
Top-3 player at position nationally. Collective + national brand deals.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadree Henderson | Pittsburgh | 2016 | 63 | 0.530 | 1.6 | 33.4 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Rec | Rec Yds | Avg | Rec TD | Long | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @Pittsburgh | L31-38 | 8.6 | 5 | 50 | 10.0 | 0 | 21 | 0.07 |
| 2 | vsKansas | L42-55 | 2.9 | 4 | 91 | 22.8 | 1 | 59 | 1.83 |
| 3 | vsTowson | W65-7 | — | 2 | 53 | 26.5 | 0 | 51 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Rec 2 · Rec Yds 19 · Avg 9.5 · Rec TD 0
| 0.38 |
| 4 | @Virginia Tech | W33-10 | -9.5 | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 1 | 24 | 0.45 |
| 5 | @Texas | L20-38 | 23.1 | 7 | 86 | 12.3 | 0 | 27 | 0.80 |
| 7 | vsBaylor | W43-40 | 11.7 | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 0 | 32 | 1.50 |
| 8 | @Texas Tech | L10-48 | 8.5 | 6 | 44 | 7.3 | 0 | 19 | 0.43 |
| 9 | vsTCU | L31-41 | 24.3 | 6 | 95 | 15.8 | 0 | 36 | 0.54 |
| 10 | @Iowa State | L14-31 | 5.3 | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 1 | 17 | 2.01 |
| 11 | vsOklahoma | W23-20 | 15.4 | 3 | 90 | 30.0 | 0 | 35 | 2.98 |
| 12 | vsKansas State | L31-48 | 21.4 | 3 | 102 | 34.0 | 3 | 71 | 2.77 |
| 13 | @Oklahoma State | W24-19 | 11.3 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 15 | -0.07 |