Phil Mafah will give Clemson 'size and speed' at running back

CLEMSON — Phil Mafah is a young running back that is deceptively fast and surprisingly strong. With the ability to run over defenders and dart around them, Mafah could make a big-time splash for Clemson.

Tony Elliott has found another weapon to utilize on offense.

Who is Phil Mafah?

Mafah was ranked No. 183 in the final 247 Sports Composite rankings while being a top-10 running back in the class and a top-20 prospect in the state of Georgia.

At Loganville (Ga.) Grayson, Mafah ran for 2,526 yards while averaging over 8.8 yards per attempt. The tailback was one of the best players on a powerhouse football program and scored 37 total touchdowns while playing high school ball.

Grayson produced former Clemson Tiger Wayne Gallman and Mafah will look to have a similar impact while at Clemson.

What does Phil Mafah add to Clemson?

All football teams would like to find speed and power at every position. Players need to have at least one and the best ones have both.

Mafah comes to Clemson showing the ability to bully defenders at the point of attack and some speed to be able to get outside and create chunk plays. This gives the true freshman a chance to develop into a special player.

“He’s got a great combination of size and speed,” said offensive coordinator Tony Elliott on signing day. “Has sneaky speedy. Is a guy that very rarely gets caught from behind. You’re talking about a young man that can run between the tackles at 220-plus pounds but then also has enough speed to take it the distance.”

How did we get here?

Someone has to start a recruiting class and that is exactly what Mafah did in the class of 2021. After earning an offer after a camp, Mafah pledged to Clemson on Aug. 29, 2019, and never waivered.

The Tigers were able to get the blue-chip running back on the board early and Mafah helped the staff by recruiting other prospects to Clemson over two years before the 2021 signing day.

Big Picture

When the Tigers added five-star tailback Will Shipley in the class of 2021, things became muddied in the backfield. The Tigers return plenty of veterans this fall and are now bringing in two true freshmen that are both participating in spring practice.

That is expected.

Running back is a position where multiple bodies are needed and Travis Etienne is not walking through that door. Clemson will need players who can do multiple things and Mafah could provide a little bit of everything.

“He’s just a complete back,” said Elliott.