Clemson’s spring football season is in the books, culminating with the team’s Orange and White game over the weekend.
Here are eight players who improved their stock during the Tigers’ 15 spring practices:
Phil Mafah
Mafah was left with the majority of the first-team reps at running back with Will Shipley and Kobe Pace still recovering from injuries. By all accounts, the rising sophomore took advantage of the opportunity.
Mafah was the biggest back on the roster last season at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, so he gives the Tigers’ backfield a different dimension in that aspect. And, according to running backs coach C.J. Spiller, Mafah is in the running as the best pass-catcher Clemson has at the position. Spiller said Mafah also showed more confidence this spring now that he’s more comfortable with the playbook and with his assignments, particularly when it comes to pass protection.
“I think he’s taken a gigantic step in his game,” Spiller said.
Mafah got 68 carries in nine games as a true freshman last season, but the former four-star signee has improved his overall game to the point where he could form a regular three-man rotation with Shipley and Pace in the fall.
Xavier Thomas
It’s rare that a starter can improve his stock all that much, but Clemson’s veteran defensive end is doing it.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney recently joked he would’ve lost money betting that Thomas would still be part of the Tigers’ program at this point, but the fifth-year senior appears to be getting closer and closer to the form that once made him a blue-chip recruit. In a little more than a year, Thomas has gone from contemplating giving up football to dropping close to 40 pounds and rediscovering the skill set that makes him one of the best players on a defensive line loaded with talent.
Defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall said he felt last season was “the best version” of Thomas, though Thomas didn’t necessarily agree. Thomas, who said he wants to drop roughly 10 more pounds after going through the spring near 265, said there’s still a higher level of performance he can reach that nobody has seen during his college career.
“You’ll see,” Thomas said. “I can’ really put it into words, but you’ll see it for sure.”
Thomas gave a glimpse of that during the spring game. He showed strength and explosiveness off the edge in routinely getting into the backfield and could be primed for a breakout final season for the Tigers.
Brannon Spector
Spector made his return to the field for the first time in a year this spring after COVID-19 complications forced him to miss all of last season. He underwent an operation in December to help alleviate some breathing problems, which had Spector questioning at one point whether or not he would be able to play football again.
But Spector went through the spring seemingly with those issues behind him.
The brother of former Clemson linebacker Baylon Spector, the younger Spector got most of the first-team reps at slot receiver with E.J. Williams (knee) still recovering from an injury this spring. Spector’s speed and explosiveness returned with him, something Clemson sorely missed from the slot position a season ago. Receivers coach Tyler Grisham likened that part of Spector’s game to former Clemson receiver Hunter Renfrow, and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said he saw enough from Spector to know he’ll be part of the receiver rotation this fall.
“Whether he’s a starter or a rotated guy, he’s going to play plenty as long as he keeps improving like this,” Streeter said.
Spector has 19 receptions in 14 career games.
Nate Wiggins
Repping behind the likes of Andrew Booth, Mario Goodrich and Sheridan Jones at cornerback, Wiggins played in 11 games last season as a freshman reserve. But with Booth and Goodrich off to the NFL, Wiggins is primed for a much bigger role this fall after a strong spring.
At 6-foot-2, Wiggins is as rangy as any left on the roster, which, as of this spring, included just four scholarship corners. Clemson will get some reinforcements from signees once the fall rolls around, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Wiggins has taken the kind of step in his development he hoped to see from him as Wiggins transitions from Year 1 to Year 2.
“Just talent wise, he’s as good as we’ve signed here,” Swinney said. “We’re still kind of polishing him up, but he’s a really, really good football player.”
Payton Page
Perhaps no player on Clemson’s roster has undergone as drastic of a physical transformation as Page, who’s lost roughly 50 pounds.
Playing closer to 330 pounds this spring, Page put himself in position to be a more consistent part of the rotation up front. The rising sophomore defensive tackle got 76 snaps over 12 games last season, but coaches heaped praise on Page throughout the spring for his work ethic and improved mobility on the interior of the defensive line.
“Let me tell you, Payton Page has made a move,” Swinney said during the ACC Network’s broadcast of the spring game.
Exactly how extensive it will be remains to be seen with Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis, Ruke Orhorhoro, Tre Williams and others still around at the position, but it sounds like Page won’t have to wait much longer for his role to increase.
Andrew Mukuba
Mukuba introduced himself to college football with an All-America freshman season at safety, but the 6-0, 185-pounder is increasing his value to the Tigers’ defense with his versatility.
Mukuba repped at every position in the secondary this spring as Clemson prepares to utilize him in multiple ways this fall. Mukuba said he moved closer to the line of scrimmage to play the Sam/nickel spot in the Tigers’ dime package during the spring, and most of his reps in the spring game came at corner. He had five tackles and two pass breakups.
Most of his reps are still likely to come alongside Jalyn Phillips at strong safety once games start this fall, but the possibilities are seemingly endless as to where he could line up from one play to the next. Mukuba finished last season fifth on the team in tackles (54) and tied for the team lead in pass breakups (9).
“Mukuba’s a special player,” safeties coach Mickey Conn said.
Toriano Pride and Sherrod Covil
You could also throw cornerback Jeadyn Lukus in here to complete the freshman defensive back trio. But whereas Lukus’ spring was cut short because of a shoulder injury, Pride and Covil went through the entire spring and made a strong case to immediately join the rotation this fall.
There’s a bigger need at corner with the low numbers there, which should help Pride (and Lukus) get on the field sooner. But Pride, who had a pick-six in Clemson’s second spring scrimmage, also impressed with a skill set that made him a highly sought-after prospect coming out of the St. Louis area.
“As advertised,” Swinney said of Pride.
Pride drew the start for the Orange team in the spring game and tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including two for loss. Meanwhile, Covil earned a reputation among his coaches and teammates this spring as a thumper at the safety position, but the 6-0, 190-pounder also intercepted D.J. Uiagalelei in the spring game, the only pick of the day.
“You can tell (Pride and Covil) are really good at football,” Phillips said. “They’re coming, making some noise and making plays.”
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