CLEMSON — When Clemson football‘s offense is in flux, the Tigers rely on running back Phil Mafah.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior played a career-high 96 snaps in the Tigers’ loss to Louisville. He finished with 35 touches for 199 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in August that Mafah has been game ready since June, and his workload reflected it.
“My body was pretty fatigued after, but I didn’t even notice it was 96 (snaps) until they talked about it in a meeting,” Mafah said. “But, just willing to do whatever it takes to get out there and play, be a competitor.”
Mafah followed that performance up with a 79-snap outing, the second most of his career, to help No. 16 Clemson (7-2, 6-1 ACC) beat Virginia Tech 24-14 last week and keep its CFP hopes alive. He recorded 128 yards on 26 carries to eclipse 1,000 all-purpose yards for the second time in his career. Mafah has logged 175 snaps over the past two games, which exceeds the next closest running back Jay Haynes (seven).
“Mo Mafah, mo better. That’s what I like,” Swinney said. “This is the championship phase, man. We have all the confidence in the world in our other guys, but why would you not want to give the ball to Mafah more? I mean, we only got him for a few more weeks.”
The Tigers face Pittsburgh (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN) at Acrisure Stadium, then host The Citadel, an FCS school, and rival South Carolina to close the season. Clemson and Mafah will have to deal with two of the stingiest run defenses in the country with Pitt averaging 109.8 yards, 19th in FBS, and South Carolina allowing 107.2, 14th.
Mafah became Clemson’s top back after the Philadelphia Eagles selected Will Shipley in the NFL draft. Mafah has seized the opportunity, recording the second-most rushing yards in the ACC with 981 and scoring eight rushing touchdowns. He has rushed for over 100 yards in six games, is on pace for his first career 1,000-yard rushing season and could record the most rushing yards by a Clemson player in a season since Travis Etienne’s 1,614 in 2019.
Mafah, who is Clemson’s biggest running back since 235-pound Jamie Harper in 2010, is having a career season behind an improved offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Mafah has picked up 55 first downs on the ground and has 586 yards after contact, which is 21st in the country and third in the ACC. He has also displayed his acceleration, including when he exceeded 20 mph on a touchdown against Appalachian State, according to Reel Analytics.
“He’s like a thoroughbred. That’s what coach Swinney’s been saying all year,” Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik said. “He’s been killing it. I don’t even have any words for him. You turn on the tape, and you have one conversation with them, and that’s all he needs.”
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Mafah first flashed in Clemson’s spring game in 2021 when he leaped over a defender as a freshman, but the team used him sparingly as he sat behind Shipley. Mafah emerged last season, splitting carries with Shipley then blossoming in the team’s final five games to lead the team in rushing yards and touchdowns.
Mafah’s success has helped Clemson’s passing offense erupt. According to Pro Football Focus, Klubnik is completing 63.3% of his passes for 13 touchdowns and one interception on play action. In comparison, he is making 62% of his throws for 11 touchdowns and three interceptions on non-play-action plays.
In pass protection, Mafah has improved too after he allowed five pressures, including four quarterback hits, last season via Pro Football Focus. He has cut that number to only two in 2024.
“Phil’s just steady, man. He’s such a smart player,” Swinney said. “He understands patience and how important that is in the run game, setting your blocks up (and) all the run schemes. He understands defense, he sees it and he feels it.”
According to ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Mafah is not a top 10 running back in the 2025 NFL draft because he isn’t as dynamic and all-around polished as other players. If Mafah’s standing holds entering April, he could be a late-round steal for a team that needs a physical power back. He is fresher compared to other backs because he has not been overused in his college career.
With Clemson fighting to make the ACC championship and CFP, Swinney aims to play Mafah as much as possible. When Mafah’s time is up at Clemson, Swinney and his players believe he will thrive after.
“He’s going to have an incredible NFL career, and that’s because of the person he is, the incredible player that he is and just the worker that he is,” Klubnik said.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
