Tag: Phil Mafah

CBS Sports Names Clemson’s Key Player for the 2024 College Football Season

For Clemson’s offense to perform in 2024, this Tiger must continue to play like a star.

Clemson is covered at starting running back for the 2024 season.

While they have lost a star in their backfield in Will Shipley, who is heading to the NFL, another star remains. Phil Mafah is one of the best backs in the country and has a lot of potential heading into the upcoming season. According to CBS Sports, he is the Tigers’ key player for the season. 

Mafah certainly isn’t a one-to-one comparison to departing running back Will Shipley. Clemson will likely need a committee to replace Shipley, who impacted the game out of the backfield, as a kick returner and as a receiver. He was singlehandedly Clemson’s most dynamic offensive option, and he’ll be sorely missed. But with issues all over the offense, Mafah should emerge as a steady hand. He hasn’t missed a game in two years and got plenty of run last season while Shipley dealt with injuries, rushing for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns.

In 2023, Mafah stepped up in a big way, recording career highs in rushing attempts (179), rushing yards (965), rushing touchdowns (13), receptions (21), and receiving yards (108) in 506 snaps over 13 games (five starts). Mafah didn’t get a full workload until Clemson’s loss against NC State, but that’s when we really saw the breakout.

Over the season’s final six games, Mafah ran for 610 yards and nine touchdowns. When given the reins, Mafah became a force for this offense. His true breakout came in Clemson’s 31-23 upset win over Notre Dame, during which he took 36 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns. A true workhorse performance.

If Clemson’s offense wants to return to its former glory, Mafah will have to play at an elite level.

Mafah on offense after first spring scrimmage: ‘Everything seemed to be working in our favor, and we finished’

Clemson’s offense has been impressing early in spring ball, which is an excellent sign for the upcoming season.

Last spring, Clemson’s defense was the group that was dominating early, but that hasn’t been the case in 2024. According to Clemson’s running back Phil Mafah, the Tigers’ offense has been impressive since the start of spring ball.

The team held its first scrimmage this weekend at Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon, with Mafah noting that the offense won the day. With all of the struggles Clemson’s offense has had since superstar Trevor Lawrence moved on to the NFL, fans will love to hear this.

“Today, the offense looked really good,” the star running back said. “Of course, the defense is definitely going to come ready on Wednesday, so my biggest message to the guys is to keep your head on tight and just continue to build on today and don’t let today affect how you play on Wednesday.

“It is another day, so we have to come with the same mentality of what it takes. You have to come ready to go because we know the guys on the other side will be ready.”

From top to bottom, Mafah was impressed with the Tigers’ offense. Each unit was doing its job, and it made the offense a scary unit to deal with. Even better to hear is that the Tigers’ offense is finishing drives, something they struggled with in 2023.

“Everything seemed to be working in our favor, and we finished,” Mafah said. “That is one thing we wanted to respond with. We finished many times, and that was great to see.”

It’s early in the spring so overreacting isn’t something we should do, but these are things you want to hear. Clemson’s offense should be improved in 2024.

Clemson stars rave about freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr.

Wesco has been impressing the offense and defense since joining the program.

Clemson’s football squad sought reinforcements at the wide receiver position, and the arrival of five-star freshman Bryant Wesco could be the answer they’ve been looking for.

As an early enrollee, Wesco enters the scene with sky-high expectations, and rightfully so. With the Tigers in dire need of a dynamic playmaker at the position, Wesco’s coveted recruitment to Clemson only amplifies the anticipation surrounding his potential impact. When practices started, Wesco immediately impressed the defense. After the Tigers’ first spring scrimmage, offensive stars are now raving about the highly touted wide receiver. 

“He’s been great. He came in in January, we had a bunch of pre-spring workouts and throwing sessions, and he was always there. Just being a consistent guy just always showing up,” Clemson tight end Briningstool said. “Ever since practice started, he’s a freak. He just goes out there and makes plays. Great ball skills, take the top off the defense, and I think that’s going to be a big thing that we’ll need to help our offense explode next year.”

If the Tigers passing game can pick things up, it will open up the running game even more for star running back Phil Mafah. This is certainly something Mafah won’t complain about, with he, too, noticing Wesco’s ability early. 

“It was a two-minute drive, and it was a fade ball, and he just tipped the ball and then caught it with one hand, so that was awesome to see,” Mafah said. “He’s a consistent guy, he works, he’s not too cool to work, and he wants to get better, and you can just tell that he takes it seriously, and that’s what it takes.”

Could Wesco be Clemson’s next great wide receiver? We’ll get to see sooner rather than later!

Clemson Football’s Top 5 Players from the 2023 College Football season

Here are our picks for Clemson’s top 5 players from the 2023 college football season.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program had a solid 2023 that ended with a wild 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

The Tigers finished 9-4 with a 4-4 record in the ACC, which fell short of expectations for many. It’s not a bad season, just one that fans had hoped for more than what they got. Even though it wasn’t perfect, there were a lot of strong performances from the Tigers on offense and defense this season.

So, who was the best of the 2023 season for the Tigers? Opinions will vary, but we’ve got our picks. Here are our top 5 players for Clemson football’s 2023 season.

What Clemson’s RB room looks like for 2024 without Will Shipley

What can we expect from Clemson’s running back room in 2024 without Will Shipley?

Clemson’s running back room in 2024 will look different with the departure of long-time offensive focal point Will Shipley.

Shipley recently declared for the 2024 NFL draft, ending his time with the program. While it stings to lose a guy as talented as Shipley, Clemson’s running back room is in a fine place heading into 2024 without him.

The Tigers have another star in the backfield, Phil Mafah, who is likely to return for the 2024 season. Mafah stepped up in a big way this season, recording career highs in rushing attempts (179), rushing yards (965), rushing touchdowns (13), receptions (21) and receiving yards (108) in 506 snaps over 13 games (five starts). Mafah didn’t get a full workload until Clemson’s loss against NC State, but that’s when we really saw the breakout.

Over the season’s final six games, Mafah ran for 610 yards and nine touchdowns. When given the reins, Mafah became a force for this offense. His true breakout came in Clemson’s 31-23 upset win over Notre Dame, during which he took 36 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns. A true workhorse performance.

At starting running back, the Tigers are covered. But what about beyond Mafah? Well, that’s where someone will have to step up. Currently on the roster, the Tigers have Keith Adams Jr., Jay Haynes and Jarvis Green. They also add incoming freshman David Eziomume.

There is undoubtedly talent behind Mafah, but it’s really about who is going to step up. It’s safe to assume that whoever does will likely need to be active out of the backfield, as Mafah isn’t the most polished receiving back. I’m not saying he can’t improve there; it just doesn’t necessarily fit his build.

Right now, it is safe to expect Mafah to continue to be a workhorse for this backfield while running back coach CJ Spiller identifies who can be a reliable No. 2 for him.

Clemson’s Offensive MVP from the 2023 season

Clemson’s 2023 Offensive MVP broke out this season.

The Clemson offense had a new focal point in 2023, with running back Phil Mafah earning most of the workload as he broke out this season.

It was a strong season for Mafah, who recorded career highs in rushing attempts (179), rushing yards (965), rushing touchdowns (13), receptions (21), and receiving yards (108) in 506 snaps over 13 games (five starts). Mafah didn’t get a full workload until Clemson’s loss against NC State, but that’s when we really saw the breakout.

Over the season’s final six games, Mafah ran for 610 yards and nine touchdowns. When given the reigns, Mafah became a force for this offense. His true breakout came in Clemson’s 31-23 upset win over Notre Dame, where he took 36 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns. A true workhorse performance.

Mafah ended the season on a high note as the Gator Bowl MVP after Clemson took down Kentucky 38-35 in a crazy win for the Tigers. Mafah may have only had 11 carries, but he took those for 71 yards and a ridiculous 4 touchdowns,

If Mafah opts to return to Clemson for 2024, Clemson fans are in for a treat.

Gator Bowl Ranks High on List of 2023-24 Bowl Games

Clemson’s thrilling Gator Bowl performance continues to earn high praise as one of the best bowl games of the 2023-24 season.

Clemson’s thrilling 38-35 victory over Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl has had a lot of people talking over the past week, and with good reason.

Not only was the Tigers’ incredible 28-point fourth quarter, come-from-behind victory a much-needed shot in the arm headed into 2024 for Dabo Swinney’s program, the game is widely being panned as one of the best bowl games from this year’s crop of postseason contests.

With opt-outs, losses in the transfer portal, and general malaise that can set in after a trying regular season, many bowl games can sometimes feel like glorified scrimmages between schools after a month-long break.

Clemson made sure that malaise didn’t happen to them.

Earlier this week, CBS Sports ranked the Gator Bowl as its second best game of the 2023-24 bowl season behind only Michigan’s thrilling overtime victory against Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

The Gator Bowl also earned high praise from the website College Football News, which ranked the game sixth in its annual list of bowl rankings.

Things looked dark for Clemson, which trailed Kentucky, 21-10, after Barion Brown returned the second half kickoff 100 yards for a Wildcats touchdown.

“And then the fourth quarter happened,” CFN notes. “42 points, five lead changes, four lead changes over the final 6:12, and wild back-and-forth plays with each side outdoing the other whenever it got a chance. This was a true last-team-with-the-ball wins game.”

Clemson’s Phil Mafah set a Gator Bowl record with four rushing touchdowns in the Tigers’ win.

Mafah named a top individual performer from bowl season by the NCAA

The NCAA has once again recognized Phil Mafah for his excellent bowl performance in the Gator Bowl.

For the second time since his electric Gator Bowl performance, Phil Mafah is being recognized by the NCAA for his showing. 

It was a record-breaking day for Mafah, who took 11 carries for 71 yards and four touchdowns. The four-touchdown performance broke two records: the Gator Bowl touchdown record and Clemson’s bowl game record. Mafah’s performance in this Gator Bowl was a special way for the Tigers’ stud running back to end his 2023 season.

The NCAA recently released an article taking note of the top individual performances during college football’s bowl season, which included Mafah. Here is what they had to say about the stud running back.

Clemson running back Phil Mafah ran for 74 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries, filling in for the injured Will Shipley in Clemson’s 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky. Three of Mafah’s touchdowns came in the fourth quarter in a back-and-forth contest and his four touchdowns tied a Gator Bowl record.

After a strong performance, fans anxiously await news on whether Mafah will return to Clemson for another season or depart for the NFL.

Mafah recognized by NCAA for Gator Bowl performance

Phil Mafah was dominant in the Tigers’ Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

Clemson’s Phil Mafah received recognition from the NCAA for his record-breaking performance in the Tigers’ 38-35 come-from-behind victory over Kentucky in Friday’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. 

In their 2023-24 list of top individual performances during college football’s bowl season, the NCAA’s official website made special note of Mafah’s heroics. 

The star tailback rushed for a Gator Bowl record four touchdowns and 74 yards on 11 carries in Clemson’s victory. Three of Mafeh’s touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning score with just 17 seconds remaining. 

In the final period, which began with the Tigers trailing 21-10, Mafeh ran for touchdowns of 1 yard, 29 yards, and 3 yards, respectively, in Clemson’s 28-point fourth quarter offensive explosion. 

Mafah also had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that marked Clemson’s first touchdown of the afternoon. 

Before Mafah’s performance, Virginia Tech’s Lee Suggs was the most recent of six players that had shared the record for most touchdown runs in a single Gator Bowl performance with three. Suggs’ three scores came in Virginia Tech’s 2001 Gator Bowl victory over Clemson.

Clemson’s Offensive Players of the Game for the Gator Bowl win over Kentucky

Here are our Offensive Players of the Game for Clemson’s Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

Clemson, ranked 22nd, had a thrilling comeback to win 38-35 against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The game was intense, and Clemson needed every play and nearly every second. Luckily, the Tigers, with an overall record of 9-4, had plenty of standout players who deserved recognition for their efforts in this game, which marked their fifth consecutive win to close the season.

Despite an uninspiring first half that saw Clemson held to just 55 rushing yards and only 10 points, the Tigers rallied for four fourth-quarter touchdowns, including Phil Mafah’s game-winning 3-yard rush with just 17 seconds remaining.

Mafah finished with 71 yards on 11 carries and four touchdowns, including three scores in the Tigers’ 28-point fourth-quarter rally. Mafah also had a pair of one-yard touchdown runs, plus another score on a 29-yard touchdown scramble.

Mafeh had some help from Will Shipley, though most of Shipley’s big plays came on special teams. Playing in perhaps his final college game, Shipley (11 carries, 29 yards rushing) delivered his two longest kick returns of the year.

He opened the game with a 34-yard return, then did one better with a 60-yard kick return in the fourth quarter that led to a Jonathan Weitz field goal from 52 yards. Weitz’s kick, his second of the game, put Clemson ahead, 30-28, with 4:20 remaining in the contest. Shipley was injured on the kickoff and did not return. He finished with 132 all-purpose yards for the day.

Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik also did his part in the victory, finishing 30-of-41 with 264 yards through the air. Klubnik’s performance included perhaps the biggest play of the game when he found receiver Antonio Williams on a third-and-18 play at midfield that gave Clemson a more manageable fourth-and-2.

Mafah’s five-yard gain on that fourth down kept the Tigers’ drive alive and allowed Clemson to take the lead for good on Mafah’s game-winning score.

Jake Briningstool led all receivers with nine catches to go with 91 yards for the Tigers.