Willie McNeal is a Slot Specialist WR for Western Kentucky. Willie's 2014 season ranks in the 100th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 71 plays — a elite rate for the WR.
The offense's primary passing-down weapon — routes, separation, and reliability on 3rd down define this 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keytaon Thompson | Mississippi State | 2017 | 70 | 0.460 | 1.2 | 32.2 |
| DeAndre Hughes | Air Force | 2021 | 60 | 0.470 | 1.3 | 28.2 |
| Savion Williams | TCU | 2024 | 56 | 0.450 | 1.1 | 25.2 |
| Quadree Henderson | Pittsburgh | 2016 | 63 | 0.530 | 1.6 | 33.4 |
| Javion Posey | Florida Atlantic | 2020 | 53 | 0.450 | 1.4 | 23.8 |
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 | vsBowling Green | W59-31 | -5.4 | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 2 | 29 | 1.40 |
| 2 | @Illinois | L34-42 | 0.4 | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 0 | 17 | 0.14 |
| 3 | @Middle Tennessee | L47-50 | -8.7 | 6 | 31 | 5.2 | 0 | 7 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Rec 5 · Rec Yds 155 · Avg 31.0 · Rec TD 1
| -0.17 |
| 5 | @Navy | W36-27 | 3.4 | 5 | 42 | 8.4 | 1 | 16 | 0.26 |
| 6 | vsUAB | L39-42 | -4.2 | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 0 | 32 | 0.58 |
| 8 | @Florida Atlantic | L38-45 | -10.4 | 5 | 56 | 11.2 | 1 | 30 | 0.56 |
| 10 | @Louisiana Tech | L10-59 | -1.7 | 2 | -3 | -1.5 | 0 | 0 | -0.87 |
| 11 | vsUTEP | W35-27 | -12.0 | 5 | 41 | 8.2 | 1 | 15 | 0.82 |
| 12 | vsArmy | W52-24 | -16.9 | 3 | 57 | 19.0 | 1 | 45 | 1.85 |
| 13 | vsUTSA | W45-7 | -3.4 | 7 | 105 | 15.0 | 1 | 67 | 0.66 |
| 14 | @Marshall | W67-66 | 16.8 | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 0 | 10 | -0.17 |
| 1 | vsCentral Michigan | W49-48 | -5.2 | 5 | 155 | 31.0 | 1 | 56 | 1.38 |