Spiller sees himself, James Davis, in makeup of Phil Mafah
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As the Clemson Tigers gear up for the 2024 season, one player stands out as the undisputed leader of their running back corps—Phil Mafah. A native of Loganville, Georgia, Mafah's journey from Grayson High School, the same alma mater as former Tiger standout Wayne Gallman, to becoming a key figure in Clemson's offense has been fun to watch.
Mafah enters the season with an impressive resume, having recorded 345 rushing attempts for 1,772 yards and 20 touchdowns, along with 37 receptions for 206 yards over 36 games (seven starts). His punishing running style, combined with his leadership qualities, has earned him the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaches alike.
Clemson's running back coach, and former Clemson legend, C.J. Spiller, spoke highly of Mafah during the Tigers’ media session on Tuesday. Spiller praised the entire running back group for their performance in the spring, but he had special words for Mafah, highlighting his influence on the younger players in the locker room.
"Phil is who we thought Phil [sic] would be," Spiller said. "I tell people all the time—even though me and Shipley's skill sets were very similar—me and Mafah's journey is pretty much identical."
Spiller drew parallels between his own time at Clemson and Mafah's journey.
"You think about my time here—James Davis for those first three years—and then obviously my last year, I took the bull by the horns. Think about the Mafah Man," Spiller noted. "He had to share the load with a great player, Shipley. Now he has the opportunity to take the bull by the horns and really lead a group."
Mafah's impact goes beyond his on-field performance, according to Spiller, who was also a very reserved personality but explosive on the field.
"He’s done a tremendous job. I mean, everybody on our team respects that guy, from the players to the coaching staff. He has a certain way that his leadership skills show, and everybody accepts that. He's one of those guys when he speaks, you listen, because he don't speak often. So you know whenever he says something, it's important."
Spiller also emphasized Mafah's physical attributes, comparing him to Davis a second time.
"He's a very powerful kid. I mean, he's 230 pounds. He's chiseled. He's got very soft hands, very good feet. Then he's faster than what a lot of people think. We've seen that on display against Notre Dame, how he was breaking those long runs. Those are the similarities that I think you can probably say between him and James. Probably a little faster than James and probably asked to do more catching the ball than what we probably asked James to do."
In 2023, Mafah combined with Will Shipley to form only the seventh Clemson running back duo to each eclipse 750 rushing yards in a single season since 1948, the first pair of backs to do so since the "Thunder and Lightning" duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller in 2007.
After rushing for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, Mafah steps into his role as the veteran leader in the running back room. Backup running backs, including redshirt sophomore Keith Adams Jr., redshirt freshmen Jarvis Green and Jay Haynes, and true freshman David Eziomume, will look to Mafah for guidance and inspiration as their roles increase due to Shipley’s departure.
"Phil's a pro's pro," Spiller said. "He understands how to take care of his body. He wants to be coached hard. He wants to set the tone for everybody. It's been a great journey to see his growth over the years, honestly."
With Mafah leading the charge, Clemson's running back group is in good hands as the opener against Georgia looms on August 31 in Atlanta.
