Phil Mafah
What do we need to say here about Mafah? Not much. He is one of the most proven commodities on the offense. He will be the feature back for the first time in his college career, having previously always shared the spotlight with Will Shipley.
Mafah feels like a guy who can be the classic workhorse running back who carries a team. I guess the big question is whether Clemson will let him be that.
Odds say no, and it doesn’t have much to do with the staff’s opinion of Mafah or his talent. The Tigers have always tried to balance their offense so the opponent can’t simply take away one aspect of the game. The Tigers never relied too heavily on either Trevor Lawrence or Travis Etienne, even though both players could carry the team in any given game.
Trying to balance the offense and pulling it off are two different things. A less-than-impressive passing attack the past few seasons has led to opponents stacking the box to stop the running backs.
Is Mafah a guy who could explode and win the Doak Walker? Yes. Can he do it if Klubnik, the receivers, and the offensive line don’t step up their game this fall? Nope.
Possible awards: Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker Award (running backs)