Jay Haynes might be deeper on the Clemson Football running back depth chart than expected

Clemson Football knows who they want as their champion at running back. The question will be the depth behind him and how that will develop among Keith Adams, Jarvis Green, and Jay Haynes.

Phil Mafah will be the featured back for the 2024 season after three seasons of splitting carries with Will Shipley, who is now in the NFL.

Mafah’s 186-yard performance against Notre Dame last season has some fans wondering if he can be a true workhorse player for the Tiger offense this season.

Comments from Dabo Swinney and his staff support that notion.

This does suggest that Swinney has the goal of working more backs into the rotation as the season progresses. There isn’t very much depth behind Mafah.

It is hardly a surprise that Adams holds the second spot going into camp. Despite the large separation Swinney alluded to after Mafah, Adams is the next most experienced running back. He is probably the next best at blocking as well.

I think there were a lot of fans who were hoping that Haynes would be the next guy in line to challenge Adams in fall camp. Haynes flashed playmaking ability against Charleston Southern last season with a touchdown on the ground and in the air.

Injuries derailed that brief momentum, and based on Riley’s comments, it sounds like Green moved ahead of him in the spring.

I see the term 'wild card' in this context two ways. I think Riley is acknowledging that Haynes has a chance to make an impact this fall. I think Riley is also far from confident that it will happen.

I doubt the distance between Haynes and Adams is too much for him to overcome if he is healthy and has physically prepared himself for a bigger role. I think that is likely what Riley is unsure of and it casts a gray cloud over expectations for Haynes.

I will admit I feel bad hammering this point, but it is a real dealbreaker: Haynes is small for a running back. He is a gifted athlete but his like of size will continue to hamper him for multiple reasons.

He will continue to be at a heightened risk of injury. Running backs take physical abuse on the field. The aforementioned blocking ability that probably benefits Adams will probably be a challenge for Haynes unless he has been able to increase his strength.

I am eager to see the Big Weigh-In results, but I am not sure what we will see from Haynes. If his injuries have hampered his development the way Riley has hinted, he might not have had much of a chance to increase his weight and strength in a meaningful way.