#31

Shane Simpson

Senior running back for Virginia. 2020: 278 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD, 13 catches.

RB · Virginia · Sr. · #31

5′11″ · 200 lb · Ewa Beach, HI

Virginia 2020 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

RB recruit

No. 1815 nationally · Signed with Towson

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 running back for Virginia. 2020: 278 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD, 13 catches.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Towson in 2015.

His career, year by year

How it ended

One season at Virginia, 278 rushing yards — his college career is complete.

His career

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

2015

Signed with Towson3-star out of Easton Area

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1815 national

CFB

College

Virginia

2020

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

2020 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2020Virginia5-5HC: Bronco Mendenhall · Balanced

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score percentiles

8 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: carries (24th percentile).

Box-score rates (8)

Rec yards#57 / 260 · 78th pct

133

Receptions#75 / 260 · 70th pct

Yards / carry#121 / 271 · 54th pct

5.1

Fumbles lost#51 / 175 · 45th pct

Long run#197 / 271 · 27th pct

Rush yards#199 / 271 · 27th pct

278

Rush TDs#179 / 271 · 27th pct

Carries#204 / 271 · 24th pct

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2020 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home6g	36.8	4.8	0.3
Road4g	14.2	6.5	0.0

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-74g	27.0	4.6	0.0
Weeks 8+6g	28.3	6.0	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tony Elliott

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

Awards

Player standing · 2020

Part-time starter

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

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2020	Virginia	54	278	5.1	2	--
Career		54	278	5.1	2	--

Season	Team
2020	Virginia	13	133	10.2	1	--
Career		13	133	10.2	1	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 9 · 2020

W 44–41

vs North Carolina

70 rush yds (8 car)

Edged out North Carolina at home in a shootout.

With B. Armstrong — 208 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · 66 rush yds (20 car) · 1 TD · N. Griffin — 42 AVG · 51 LONG · 2 NO

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 9 · North Carolina · 2&6 · Q1 · EPA +6.19Brennan Armstrong pass complete to Shane Simpson for 71 yds for a TD (Brian Delaney KICK)
Week 6 · NC State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -3.71Shane Simpson run for 10 yds to the NCSt 32 Shane Simpson fumbled, forced by Terrell Dawkins, recovered by NCSt Isaiah Moore
Week 12 · Abilene Christian · 3&1 · Q2 · EPA +2.45Shane Simpson run for 1 yd for a TD (Brian Delaney KICK)
Week 9 · North Carolina · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.35Shane Simpson run for 29 yds to the Virg 46 for a 1ST down
Week 6 · NC State · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.05Shane Simpson run for 12 yds to the NCSt 42 for a 1ST down
Week 12 · Abilene Christian · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.62Brennan Armstrong pass complete to Shane Simpson for 14 yds to the AblCh 1 for a 1ST down
Week 15 · Virginia Tech · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.54Shane Simpson run for 10 yds to the Virg 35 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Duke · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -1.40Shane Simpson run for a loss of 2 yards to the Virg 35
Week 15 · Virginia Tech · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA +1.39Shane Simpson run for 12 yds to the VTech 41 for a 1ST down
Week 5 · Clemson · 2&8 · Q4 · EPA +1.38Brennan Armstrong pass complete to Shane Simpson for 9 yds to the Virg 36 for a 1ST down

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2020 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 4	W 38-20vs Duke	8	36	4.5	0	12
Wk 5	L 23-41@ Clemson	3	11	3.7	0	8
Wk 6	L 21-38vs NC State	7	37	5.3	0	12
Wk 7	L 23-40@ Wake Forest	5	24	4.8	0	16
Wk 8	L 14-19@ Miami	—	—	—	—	—
Wk 9	W 44-41vs North Carolina	8	70	8.8	0	29	Season-high 70 yds
Wk 11	W 31-17vs Louisville	12	50	4.2	0	12
Wk 12	W 55-15vs Abilene Christian	4	9	2.3	2	6
Wk 14	W 43-32vs Boston College	5	19	3.8	0	6
Wk 15	L 15-33@ Virginia Tech	2	22	11.0	0	12
Total		54	278	5.4	2	29

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