T.J. Yeldon is a Explosive Back for Alabama. T.J.'s 2014 season ranks in the 45th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 215 plays — a average 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 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2017 | 240 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 98.4 |
| Nick Wilson | Arizona | 2014 | 250 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 102.5 |
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 | vsWest Virginia | W33-23 | 8.4 | 23 | 126 | 5.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.20 |
| 2 | vsFlorida Atlantic | W41-0 | -10.4 | 7 | 43 | 6.1 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0.67 |
| 3 | vsSouthern Miss | W52-12 | -15.9 | 9 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
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.
Car 10 · Rush Yds 47 · Avg 4.7 · Rush TD 1
| 56 |
| 6.2 |
| 0 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.28 |
| 4 | vsFlorida | W42-21 | 17.3 | 18 | 59 | 3.3 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 0.01 |
| 6 | @Ole Miss | L17-23 | 20.7 | 20 | 123 | 6.2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.10 |
| 7 | @Arkansas | W14-13 | 12.2 | 16 | 45 | 2.8 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 1 | -0.02 |
| 8 | vsTexas A&M | W59-0 | 20.2 | 13 | 114 | 8.8 | 2 | 3 | 45 | 0 | 0.71 |
| 9 | @Tennessee | W34-20 | 12.2 | 14 | 52 | 3.7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.27 |
| 11 | @LSU | W20-13 | 21.5 | 15 | 68 | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0.13 |
| 12 | vsMississippi State | W25-20 | 22.2 | 16 | 72 | 4.5 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0.15 |
| 14 | vsAuburn | W55-44 | 24.2 | 19 | 127 | 6.7 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0.46 |
| 15 | vsMissouri | W42-13 | 19.3 | 14 | 47 | 3.4 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.23 |
| 1 | vsOhio State | L35-42 | 25.8 | 10 | 47 | 4.7 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.51 |
