Tony Pollard is a Pass-Catching Back for Memphis. Tony's 2018 season ranks in the 18th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 133 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 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 2019 | 216 | 0.490 | 5.0 | 105.8 |
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 | vsMercer | W66-14 | — | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | -0.15 |
| 2 | @Navy | L21-22 | -10.2 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 18 · Rush Yds 113 · Avg 6.3 · Rush TD 1
| 0 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.32 |
| 3 | vsGeorgia State | W59-22 | -20.4 | 4 | 22 | 5.5 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 1 | -0.00 |
| 4 | vsSouth Alabama | W52-35 | -17.7 | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0.17 |
| 5 | @Tulane | L24-40 | -3.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 0.39 |
| 6 | vsUConn | W55-14 | -26.4 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 0 | 4 | 44 | 0 | 0.34 |
| 7 | vsUCF | L30-31 | 16.5 | 5 | 29 | 5.8 | 1 | 6 | 45 | 0 | 0.29 |
| 8 | @Missouri | L33-65 | 20.8 | 8 | 75 | 9.4 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 0.29 |
| 10 | @East Carolina | W59-41 | -14.9 | 9 | 86 | 9.6 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 0.76 |
| 11 | vsTulsa | W47-21 | -11.2 | 6 | 13 | 2.2 | 0 | 3 | 53 | 0 | -0.03 |
| 12 | @SMU | W28-18 | -5.4 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0.15 |
| 13 | vsHouston | W52-31 | 2.3 | 11 | 83 | 7.5 | 1 | 8 | 116 | 0 | 0.51 |
| 14 | @UCF | L41-56 | 16.5 | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0.02 |
| 1 | vsWake Forest | L34-37 | 3.6 | 18 | 113 | 6.3 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.14 |
