Phil Mafah – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Mafah breaks off 83-yard touchdown as Clemson’s half-explosion continues

Clemson’s offense is scorching in the first quarter.

I can barely keep up right now, which is a beautiful thing and something I haven’t had to deal with in some time.

Clemson’s offense is on a tear right now, going from a team that couldn’t buy a big play to a team that’s producing them left and right. Even if it is a game against Appalachian State, this start for the Tigers offense is impressive. Big play after big play, so you know, the star running back Phil Mafah had to join in on the fun.

Up 14-0 in the first quarter, Mafah took a carry 83 yards to the house for another huge touchdown, extending Clemson’s lead to 21-0. This comes after a 76-yard Bryant Wesco Touchdown and another catch from the freshman that resulted in a 52-yard catch.

A perfect start for Garrett Riley’s offense and a fun game to watch for Tigers fans.

Clemson football’s offensive X-Factor for Week 1 against Georgia

Clemson will need to establish the run to beat Georgia.

Dabo Swinney and the No. 14 Clemson football team face off with the No. 1 Georgia on Saturday, with the Tigers looking to upset Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs to start their 2024 season.

Clemson has a real shot at beating Georgia, and I believe the Tigers have better chances than many are leading on, but to do so, they have to get one guy going in particular. While you could easily make the case for Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik being the Tigers’ Offensive X-Factor for the matchup, I’m going with star running back Phil Mafah here.

There’s no denying Clemson’s offense needs to take the next step, especially in the passing game. What’s the best way to open up your passing game? Establishing the run. Clemson and Mafah need to prove that they can be productive on the ground against Georgia’s arguably best defense in the country.

Sharing the backfield with Will Shipley last season, Phil Mafah was a consistent presence for Clemson in all 13 games. Mafah came close to reaching 1,000 rushing yards, finishing with 965 on 179 carries. He also set personal bests with 13 touchdowns on the ground. In addition to his rushing contributions, Mafah added 108 yards through the air on 21 receptions.

Now it’s Mafah’s backfield to lead, and much of the Tigers’ offensive weight will be on his shoulders. If Mafah has a big game on Saturday, Clemson’s odds of winning will be much, much higher than people believe.

Seven Clemson Tigers make list of Top 150 college football players for 2024 season

Barrett Carter and Peter Woods were the two highest-ranked Clemson players on CBS Sports’ list, which also included T.J. Parker, Demonte Capehart, Phil Mafah, Khalil Barnes and Blake Miller.

CBS Sports unveiled its rankings of the Top 151 college football players entering the 2024 season Monday. Seven Clemson players made the list.

As with ESPN’s rankings last week, senior linebacker Barrett Carter was the Tigers’ top-ranked player at No. 24 overall. Carter ranked one spot ahead of Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison and one spot below Ole Miss receiver Tre Harris on CBS Sports’ list.

College football analyst Blake Brockermeyer said of Carter:

“A versatile three-down ‘backer who likes to play in the opponent’s backfield, Barrett is an explosive and high-ceiling talent who has enormous potential and upside as a former 5-star recruit. A converted high school safety prospect, Carter has the ability to match up vs. tight ends and backs in coverage and did not allow a touchdown last season. He missed too many tackles, 12, last season in the box and can do a better job of finishing in the run game. Cleaning that up is likely a big reason he returned for his senior season. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is gone, now it’s Carter’s turn to be the star of Clemon’s defense.”

ESPN had Carter ranked as the No. 15 overall player in college football. The Peach State native has been named to various preseason All-America teams and award watch lists, including the Butkus Award, the Bednarik Award and the Wuerffel Trophy.

In three seasons with the Tigers, Carter is credited with 170 tackles (21 for loss), nine sacks, 15 pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 38 games.

Carter was the highest-ranked ACC player on CBS Sports’ list, which also included defensive tackle Peter Woods (No. 76 overall), defensive lineman T.J. Parker (No. 78), defensive tackle Demonte Capehart (No. 98), running back Phil Mafah (No. 109), safety Khalil Barnes (No. 116) and offensive tackle Blake Miller (No. 138).

Woods has been on various preseason All-America teams and watch lists, including the Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

CBS Sports ranked Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter the No. 1 overall player in the nation entering the 2024 season.

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Greg McElroy outlines his expectations for Cade Klubnik, Clemson offense in 2024

Here’s what ESPN’s Greg McElroy had to say about his expectations for Cade Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers’ offense in 2024.

Cade Klubnik is looking for more consistency and overall improvement as he enters his second season in offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s system.

Klubnik started all 13 games last season and threw for 2,844 yards to go with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also coughed up 10 fumbles with five resulting in turnovers.

The Tigers started 4-4 but closed the season on a five-game winning streak that Klubnik helped engineer, culminating in a 28-point fourth-quarter comeback against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy had a lot to say about Clemson on the Thursday edition of his Always College Football podcast. He shared that he thought the former five-star recruit out of Austin, Texas, could be poised to make a “significant jump” in 2024.

“People forget that while Cade Klubnik was a five-star (recruit) and they sprinkled him into some action in his true freshman year, the guy’s only started 13 or 14 games. It’s not like he’s played a ton of football,” McElroy said. “So, Cade Klubnik, I think, maybe he’s poised to make a significant jump his second year in the offense, his second year with Riley, and with what should be a better receiving corps.

“Now, he’s got to make better decisions. He threw nine picks last year, and he’s got to have better ball security. He put the ball on the ground 10 times, five of which were lost.”

McElroy added that he expected the Tigers’ rushing attack to be strong with Phil Mafah back at tailback.

“The good news is, I do think they’re going to be able to run the football,” McElroy said. “I look at Phil Mafah, and while he was kind of used as a piece to kind of spell Will Shipley throughout the first half of last season, down the stretch he really got it going. The last six games, nobody ran for more rushing touchdowns, and there were only two guys in the league who had more rushing yards down the stretch than Phil Mafah last year.”

Clemson opens the season against Georgia, the preseason No. 1 team in the US LBM Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Tigers are ranked No. 14 in the coaches poll. Kickoff is at noon ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will be televised on ABC.

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Garrett Riley looking for leadership going into 2024 season

Clemson’s offensive coordinator mentioned Phil Mafah, Cade Klubnik and Jake Briningstool as leaders on the Tigers’ offense heading into the season.

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley believes there’s a lot of potential for leadership on the offensive side of the ball heading into the 2024 season.

Riley and other coaches spoke to the media Tuesday at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex. When asked about leadership, Riley highlighted quarterback Cade Klubnik, running back Phil Mafah and tight end Jake Briningstool in particular.

Mafah is unquestionably the leader at running back for the Tigers after Will Shipley declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season. Mafah rushed for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns on 179 carries a season ago.

Riley described Mafah as a quiet leader.

“He’s gonna do it by his actions and his play and is just always doing the right thing,” Riley said of the Tigers’ senior tailback. “He’s certainly a guy that our guys look to.”

Briningstool, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound tight end out of Brentwood, Tenn., is also entering his senior season. He emerged as a true threat in 2023, catching 50 passes for 498 yards and five touchdowns in his first year as a full-time starter.

“Jake Briningstool comes to mind as someone who’s really improved and kind of emerged in that (leadership) role,” Riley said. “I’m really proud of him and his maturity and what he’s done in kind of taking that thing by the horns a little bit through the spring and this summer.”

As for Klubnik, Riley said he believes that a year of experience as the Tigers’ quarterback will help going forward. Klubnik started all 13 games a season ago and threw for 2,844 yards with 19 touchdowns to nine interceptions.

“I know Cade has certainly improved on (leadership) as well now that he’s played and kind of has some credibility that (he’s) been the guy for a year,” Riley said.

When asked if he’d had a conversation with Klubnik on taking the reins, Riley said that it was always a topic of conversation in the team’s quarterback room.

“That whole quarterback room, that’s something you’re always trying to evolve and get better with, and it’s one of those things where there’s a little bit of a fine line,” Riley said. “You can’t be a fraud and try to overdo it. You can’t do too little. In my mind, there’s kind of a balance and a happy medium to it and he’s certainly finding his own with it.”

Riley also spoke of the Tigers’ leadership up front and mentioned offensive linemen Tristan Leigh and Blake Miller as “guys that bring a lot to the table from a leadership standpoint.”

Phil Mafah gets second-round grade by this NFL Draft analyst

Clemson running back Phil Mafah drew praise from college football and NFL Draft analyst Damian Parson.

Clemson running back Phil Mafah is one of the best running backs heading into the 2024 college football season.

That’s from Damian Parson, a college football analyst for The Draft network and co-host of the Locked On NFL Draft podcast. Parson recently gave the Tigers’ senior tailback a second-round grade for the 2025 NFL Draft.

“This is a grown man,” Parson said of Mafah, noting the tailback’s 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame. “Physical, downhill runner, what could be a kind of one-cut style. They run some zone, some gap stuff … One of the things I liked about him is that he worked on being a pass-catcher (this off-season) and he caught the ball effectively. He ran decent routes for a big-body guy. He runs with tempo and patience and follows his blocks. He gives his blockers time to set up.”

Playing alongside Will Shipley in the backfield a season ago, Mafah played in all 13 games in 2023, finishing just shy of a 1,000-yard rushing season. He totaled 965 yards and 13 touchdowns on 179 carries — all career-highs. The Loganville, Ga., native also caught 21 passes for 108 yards.

Mafah figures to play a star role in Garrett Riley’s offense this season, taking over the reins at tailback from Shipley, who declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and was a fourth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles.

“This is a guy who, if you are not prepared for what’s to come in the alley, this is going to be a fight that you’re not going to win,” Parson said of Mafah. “He’s one of those guys that falls forward, leans forward. He’s got a really good stiff-arm, but for 230 (pounds), he’s got a burst to him.”

Parson even compared Mafah to former LSU running back Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 3,830 yards in three seasons with the Bengal Tigers and ranks fourth on the school’s all-time rushing list.

Fournette was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick (4th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft and had two 1,000-yard rushing seasons before winning a Super Bowl ring with the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“The last guy I’ve seen built this way that I recall that had a good burst that I was impressed with was Leonard Fournette,” Parson said. “So with Phil Mafah catching the ball, running the ball, (he’s) scheme-versatile. But it’s the patience… and this is a guy that to me, I think this year he’s going to be that lead back.

“Garrett Riley, as he calls it, the ‘Dirt Raid,’ he wants to run the ball and pound defenses into the turf. I see it, and I think with Phil Mafah, I see the full skill set.”

Clemson opens the 2024 season August 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against the Georgia Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for noon EDT. The game will be televised nationally by ABC.

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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.