No. 5 - Domonique Thomas
Quadzilla. Thomas became a fan favorite due to his backstory and his determination. He played his way up to third-string on the depth chart this past season behind Will Shipley and Phil Mafah.
Thomas entered the portal and transferred to Georgia State, and it isn’t hard to see why. He wasn’t likely to find a whole lot of playing time with the Tigers, even if he knew that Shipley was leaving.
Jay Haynes was slowed by injury, but when he was in the games, he was agile, quick, and a good receiver out of the backfield.
Add David Eziomume to the mix, and there was also Keith Adams – it wasn’t hard to see that there was going to be a lot of competition for the minority of running back snaps that would be left after Mafah got his.
You will see this as a recurring theme on this list: I would rather the transfer still be on Clemson’s roster than not, even if there were other options to cover their absence. Quadzilla is a good example.
I think Clemson will be fine at running back this season, but I would still rather have Thomas with the Tigers in 2024.
Next: No. 4 – Toriano Pride