Clemson football running backs will be undervalued in 2021.
Change isn’t always bad and it will not be Clemson football in 2021. For the first time in four years, the Tigers will be without the ACC’s all-time best running back, Travis Etienne. However, the does not mean that they are void of talent.
Matter of fact, the Clemson football running back room will be the best it has ever been.
Back for the Tigers in 2021 are seniors Lyn-J Dixon and Darien Rencher, juniors Chez Mellusi and Michel Dukes, and sophomore Kobe Pace. They also bring in five-star Will Shipley and four-star Phil Mafah, who have both enrolled early.
If you believe high school coaches from the state of Georgia, Phil Mafah is the best running back to come out of the state of Georgia since Jamal Lewis more than two decades ago. Mighty big praise for the running back that helped lead his high school team to the GHSA AAAAAAA state title and number two final national ranking in 2020.
The two biggest questions mark surrounding the running back group will be hard to answer – is CJ Spiller a good coach and how will they handle playing time with such a large and talented group?
We all know Clemson football fans have read that first question and are already upset but it is a fair question. Spiller has never been a position coach before. Yes, he is one of the all-time great running backs and is a College Football Hall of Famer, but that doesn’t mean he can coach.
His abilities as a player don’t automatically mean success as a coach and even he would tell you that. There is no doubt that Tony Elliot and coach Swinney will work with him this offseason and he will learn a lot over spring practice, but there will still be a learning curve as he gets acclimated.
Carries and playing time will be at a premium in 2021 for Clemson football running backs.
Lyn-J will get the first opportunity to be the starter. He will get the most reps in the spring but the coaching staff will be looking at Mellusi, Dukes, Pace, Shipley, and Mafah to see what they bring to the table.
When the post-spring depth chart shakes out, don’t be surprised to see Mellusi and Dukes get passed by all of the underclassmen and to see one or both of them hit the transfer portal.
The running back room and competition will be a lot of fun over the next three months and this group will go a long way in determining how good Clemson football will be this fall.