#30

Markese Stepp

Senior running back for Western Kentucky. 2023: 310 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD, 7 catches.

RB · Western Kentucky · Sr. · #30

6′1″ · 225 lb · Indianapolis, IN

CFB Index 38 · #217 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceWestern Kentucky 2023 alumnus

Recruiting

4★

RB recruit

No. 307 nationally · Signed with USC

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 running back for Western Kentucky. 2023: 310 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD, 7 catches.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to USC in 2018.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Six seasons at Western Kentucky, 1,094 rushing yards — his college career is complete.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

20183 games

Signed with USC4-star out of Cathedral

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#307 national

CFB

College

3 teams

2018–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2018–2023

2 coaches

2018

Mike Sanford Jr.

Western Kentucky

2019–2023

Tyson Helton

Western Kentucky

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Sanford Jr. → Tyson Helton. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2018USC5-7HC: Clay Helton · Balanced

2019USC8-5HC: Clay Helton · Pass-leaning

2020USC5-1HC: Clay Helton · Pass-leaning, fast tempo

2021Nebraska3-9HC: Scott Frost · Run-leaning

2022Western Kentucky9-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning

2023Western Kentucky8-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

38Below cohort / limited sample #217 of 310?

High confidence12 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: explosive rate (11th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

TD rate#216 / 426 · 49th pct

4.3%

Success rate#265 / 426 · 37th pct

42.0%

Yards / carry#292 / 426 · 32nd pct

4.8

EPA / carry#312 / 426 · 27th pct

0.06

Explosive rate#378 / 426 · 11th pct

2.9%

Box-score rates (7)

Long run#103 / 333 · 68th pct

Rec yards#175 / 327 · 46th pct

Rush TDs#181 / 333 · 40th pct

Yards / carry#217 / 333 · 33rd pct

4.5

Receptions#220 / 327 · 30th pct

Carries#235 / 333 · 29th pct

Rush yards#245 / 333 · 27th pct

310

Season trend

EPA / carry— first qualifying season

Success rate— first qualifying season

Explosive rate— first qualifying season

Yards / carry— first qualifying season

TD rate— first qualifying season

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home6g	26.0	4.5	0.3
Road5g	30.8	4.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-75g	36.0	4.8	0.4
Weeks 8+6g	21.7	3.8	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tyson Helton

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Part-time starter

Splitting first-team reps — starts some weeks, rotates others.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

38 · #217 of 310 RBs

Former four-star. Now #217 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Western Kentucky	69	310	4.5	3	--
2022	Western Kentucky	20	102	5.1	0	--
2021	Nebraska	45	177	3.9	2	--
2020	USC	45	165	3.7	3	--
2019	USC	48	307	6.4	3	--
2018	USC	7	33	4.7	0	--
Career		234	1,094	4.7	11	--

Season	Team
2023	Western Kentucky	7	73	10.4	0	--
2022	Western Kentucky	--	--	--	--	--
2021	Nebraska	1	30	30.0	0	--
2020	USC	3	28	9.3	0	--
2019	USC	--	--	--	--	--
2018	USC	1	7	7.0	0	--
Career		12	138	11.5	0	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2023

W 52–22

vs Houston Christian

48 rush yds (9 car)

Dominant 30-point win at home against Houston Christian.

With A. Reed — 253 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 74.0 · 14 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · E. Messer — 18 rush yds (1 car)

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 6 · Louisiana Tech · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +4.37Markese Stepp run for 56 yds for a TD (Lucas Carneiro KICK)
Week 8 · Jacksonville State · 3&4 · Q1 · EPA +1.79Markese Stepp run for 8 yds to the JVST 39 for a 1ST down
Week 2 · Houston Christian · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.77Markese Stepp run for 6 yds to the WKU 46 for a 1ST down
Week 12 · Sam Houston · 1&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.46Markese Stepp run for 3 yds for a TD (Lucas Carneiro KICK)
Week 3 · Ohio State · 2&2 · Q1 · EPA -1.29Markese Stepp run for no gain to the OSU 48
Week 9 · Liberty · 2&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.29Markese Stepp run for 14 yds to the WKU 46 for a 1ST down
Week 2 · Houston Christian · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.25Markese Stepp run for 20 yds to the HCU 34 for a 1ST down
Week 11 · New Mexico State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.25Austin Reed pass complete to Markese Stepp for 26 yds to the WKU 30 for a 1ST down
Week 1 · South Florida · 1&2 · Q1 · EPA +1.21Markese Stepp run for 2 yds for a TD (Lucas Carneiro KICK)
Week 6 · Louisiana Tech · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -1.16Markese Stepp run for no gain to the WKU 45

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 41-24vs South Florida	4	21	5.3	1	11
Wk 2	W 52-22vs Houston Christian	9	48	5.3	0	20
Wk 3	L 10-63@ Ohio State	8	19	2.4	0	8
Wk 5	W 31-10vs Middle Tennessee	6	16	2.7	0	5
Wk 6	W 35-28@ Louisiana Tech	9	76	8.4	1	56	Season-high 76 yds
Wk 8	L 17-20@ Jacksonville State	7	23	3.3	0	8
Wk 9	L 29-42vs Liberty	4	29	7.3	0	14
Wk 10	W 21-13@ UTEP	3	4	1.3	0	2
Wk 11	L 29-38vs New Mexico State	8	34	4.3	0	10
Wk 12	W 28-23vs Sam Houston	4	8	2.0	1	5
Wk 13	W 41-28@ Florida International	7	32	4.6	0	12
Total		69	310	4.3	3	56

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology