The biggest X-factor of the 2023 Clemson football season is perhaps the offense. Plenty has changed since the Orange Bowl on the offensive side of the ball and Clemson fans should have much to be excited about when it comes to the offensive side of the ball this season.
With new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley at the helm, the Clemson offense will use his trademark air raid offense to bring back the offense that fans saw bring the Tigers to the National Championship. Despite the most upside being on receivers, there has been one part of the offense that has not changed since last year and perhaps brought the most havoc on defenses in the 2022-2023 season: running backs.
With the running back room that Riley has in his hands, he can continue to allow the Tigers to make huge plays on the ground. Leading that room, of course, is the reigning first-team All-ACC back Will Shipley. The rising junior is poised for another career year, picking up nearly 1200 yards on the ground in his sophomore season last year.
The best part? Shipley can play as a pass-catching running back. The Weddington, North Carolina native picked up 242 receiving yards last season. With a new offensive scheme in the hands of Riley, don’t be surprised if Shipley reaches career-highs in receiving yards come the fall. He has the athletic ability, showing fans plenty of times over the past two seasons as a Tiger through jukes, spins and hurdles.
Defenses can’t just worry about Shipley, however, as fellow rising junior Phil Mafah is another Tiger that has been a problem for defenses, especially in this past season. Mafah was the No. 2 running back in the depth chart, but he has the ability to play as well as a No. 1. The Georgia native added over 500 yards on the ground and added four touchdowns for Clemson.
Standing 6-foot-1 and 215-pound frame, the junior is a problem for defenses to bring down, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Mafah is more of a powerful, strong running back, being vital on third-and-short plays to move the chains.
Despite the quarterback and receivers receiving countless amounts of buzz from the acquisition of Garrett Riley, the running backs look just as good as last season, only improving since the final game of the 2022-2023 season. Adding this improved room with a revamped and healthy offensive line is a recipe for success for the offense. This group could potentially be overlooked by opponents when looking at this new-look offense, allowing this group to continue its incredible production that fans have seen over recent years.
Despite former Tiger Kobe Pace leaving the running back room and entering the transfer portal, the Tigers have plenty of depth to help support the two-headed monster of Shipley and Mafah. With plenty of backs to choose from, Riley will have a plethora of assets to help assist the top two on the depth chart. Redshirt freshman Keith Adams Jr. could see a lot more snaps this season, playing in two games as a true freshman last season. Adams also added 53 yards and a touchdown in April’s spring game.
Clemson fans also got used to the name Domonique Thomas over the spring game. A walk-on in early 2022, Thomas led all rushers in the scrimmage, rushing for 63 yards off of 14 attempts and scoring a touchdown in the game. The redshirt junior saw snaps in four games for Clemson last season.
When Clemson begins its season in a few months against Duke, Clemson fans should be excited for this group when it takes the field because they have the potential to make action-packed plays and score plenty of touchdowns to help the Tigers win games this season.
