Phil Mafah 'the man' as Clemson football's only healthy scholarship running back

CLEMSON – Clemson's group of scholarship running backs practicing this spring is Phil Mafah.

That’s it. Just him.

“Mafah is the man,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s going to be an opportunity for him to get a ton of work.”

Mafah is the man because the other two, Will Shipley and Kobe Pace, are out with injuries. Shipley (knee) and Pace (toe) are sidelined for spring ball, which began March 2 and will continue through the Orange and White Game on April 9.

Shipley led Clemson last season with 738 yards rushing (4.6 per carry) and 11 touchdowns as a freshman. Pace in his sophomore season had 641 yards (6.2 per carry) and six touchdowns. Mafah was pulled into action five games into his freshman year to add 292 yards (4.4 per carry) and three scores.

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“We were trying to redshirt him and we had to kind of nix that plan (because of injuries and transfers),” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “He didn’t get as many opportunities or plays as Kobe and Ship did, so this is going to be great for him. I think we’re going to have a three-headed monster at running back. All those guys are really good and they’re good in whatever situation you need them.”

In his first career game, thrown into the mix with little warning, Mafah carried the ball eight times for 58 yards against Boston College. His first touchdown gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead at Pittsburgh, a game they lost, 27-17, as the Panthers went on to win the ACC championship and break a string of six straight by Clemson (10-3, 6-2).

“He looks good, man. I like him a lot,” Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei said about Mafah. “He’s super-quiet, but he knows exactly what he needs to do. He’s a hard runner, a big back (6-foot-1 and 225 pounds) that has a lot of speed. He’s been doing really well in spring ball and I’m excited to see him get more reps. It's definitely important for him to be able to go out there with Kobe and Shipley not practicing. It’s been good for him.”

Clemson has only five healthy running backs, and the other four are walk-ons: redshirt sophomore Domonique Thomas and redshirt freshmen Kevin McNeal, Tristen Rigby and Wise Segars Jr., who played locally at Daniel High.

“If you’re a walk-on running back, you’re fixin’ to have a great spring,” Swinney said. “There’s going to be a lot of opportunity. Y’all are going to be, ‘Who the heck is that guy?’ … It’s going to be fun.”

McNeal is the only one who has been in the backfield during a game for Clemson. He took one snap last season against South Carolina State.

Thomas played last season at Division II Union (Ky.) College, averaged 5.4 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns.

"He came at a good time," Swinney said last week before the first practice. "He’s going to get opportunities this spring as well. He’s easy to pick out. He’s a put-together kid (5-8, 195). I know nothing about him as a player yet.”

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Clemson signed three-star prospect Keith Adams Jr., but he won’t be on campus until summer. Adams ran for 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns in making all-state in Utah after beginning his high school career in Canton, Georgia. He is the son of Clemson Hall of Fame linebacker Keith Adams, who was 1999 ACC defensive player of the year and a two-time All-American.

Shipley and Pace are expected to be full participants when offseason workouts continue in May.

“They’ll have a good perspective,” Swinney said. “They’ll really stay engaged as they physically get better, making sure they get mentally better, too. “

Todd Shanesy covers Clemson athletics for the Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald-Journal and the USA TODAY Network.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Phil Mafah 'the man' as Clemson's only healthy scholarship back