Clemson football: Bold predictions for the 2022 season

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is between his sons wide receiver Will Swinney(22), left, and wide receiver Drew Swinney(81) and the team for the Walk of Champions before Clemson and Georgia played in the Duke's Mayo Classic Sep 4, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; at Bank of America Stadium.Ncaa Football Georgia At Clemson /

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Clemson will have two running backs go over 1,000 yards each this season

The running backs were so young last year. Well, let me amend that: the running backs Clemson could rely on were so young last year. A sophomore and two freshmen. Add inconsistency on the offensive line due to injury and inexperience, and it took time for fans to see the full potential for this group.

By the end of the season, we started to get a better feel for how good these guys could be. Will Shipley and Kobe Pace were a 1-2 punch down the stretch, and Phil Mafah flashed enough for fans to be excited.

It’s safe to say this prediction is reliant on Shipley & Pace staying relatively injury free. If either of them do get hurt, the next man up is Mafah. I like Mafah, but I don’t have the confidence in him that I have in the top two backs. While Mafah did excite the crowd with a few big time plays, he didn’t show the consistency. To put it in perspective, DJ Uiagalelei (who was injured and barely ran last season) had more rushing yards and rushing touchdowns than Mafah.

For this bold prediction to hold true, however, the most important place Clemson needs good fortune with injuries is on the offensive line. If the Tigers are constantly changing their lineup like they did in 2021, it isn’t likely that one back will reach 1,000 yards, much less two.

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