Phil Mafah left a burning image in the minds of Clemson fans during the Tigers’ thrilling Gator Bowl victory over Kentucky last season.
The bruising Clemson running back, who had served as the back-up to the now-pro Will Shipley, put the Tigers on his back, scoring four touchdowns, and leading Clemson to a come-from-behind 38-35 victory over the Wildcats.
That was what Mafah left fans to ponder on, and now he is giving them something to look forward to. The senior running back is locked in and ready to be the main guy in 2024 and he spoke about the coming season at ACC Media Days on Thursday in Charlotte.
“Seeing the way we finished (against Kentucky) definitely gave us a lot of confidence for this year and going into the offseason in our preparation,” said Mafah. “I definitely feel like that game has helped our team morale be boosted and allowed the guys to know that we can win; we can be successful.”
Phil Mafah
Phil Mafah was named the Gator Bowl MVP last December and finished the 2023 campaign with 965 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. When receiving his chances to shine, he did not disappoint. Mafah also put together a monster performance in Clemson’s dominating home win over Notre Dame.
“This year, I mean, he has got the opportunity to hopefully pick up where he finished off,” said head coach Dabo Swinney. “He had an amazing finish,” said Swinney. “You know, it started in that Notre Dame game. That was great and just propelled him all the way to the end, the last play of a three-yard run with like 17 seconds on the goal line to win that last game in the Gator Bowl.”
Phil has long adopted the mindset of giving his absolute best in every aspect of the game, from practice and during games. He is a leader to the offense, and as an elder statesman, a player others look up to. It is a role he does not take lightly, or shy away from. He easily could have turned pro as well, and would probably have been drafted, but instead chose to return to Clemson to cement his legacy as one of the great backs in program history.
In other words, Phil Mafah has unfinished business and that starts with maintaining the best version of himself.
“Nothing changes in my mindset, but one thing I have been focusing on this offseason is my longevity to be able to play as many games as I can this year,” he said. “Taking care of my body, my nutrition, doing what I need to do to be successful.”
Demonstrating his abilities as a leader, Mafah has also taken it upon himself to be a mentor to quarterback Cade Klubnik with who he will need a strong bond with on and off the field. Phil spoke highly of Clemson’s junior quarterback and expressed confidence in Cade.
“He’s my brother in Christ. I love that dude,” Mafah stated. “He cares about this team so much, and he’s taken a great step this offseason just to get closer to the guys and help to bring unity within the offense and defense.”
He added, “He’s stepped up as a vocal leader and as a field general out there, and I’m really proud of him.”
In his career, Phil Mafah has rushed for 1,772 yards on 345 carries and notched 20 touchdowns in 36 career games. As RBI, he could add quite a bit to those totals in 2024.
Swinney said the plan is for Mafah to touch the ball frequently. Feed Phil the ball and let him eat.
“Man, just a buffet, you know,” quipped Swinney. “All he wants. “We’re going to hand that ball to Phil a lot. A lot.”
And Mafah would have it no other way. He wants to put the team on his shoulders just as he did against Notre Dame and Kentucky and help carry the Tigers back to the college football promised land.
