Clemson’s 2026 Running Back Situation Is Taking Shape

In the offseason, Adam Randall, Clemson’s lead back in 2025, declared for the draft. That left a hole — and a sizable one at that. Who will fill that spot in 2026? The question has been in the air, and this week, it was addressed.

In 2025, Clemson played a total of 885 offensive plays across 13 games. Of those plays, 410 were rushes. That's more than 45% of snaps. To say that rushing is critical for Clemson’s offense — or any successful college football offense — would be an understatement.

Now, consider the fact that Clemson just welcomed a brand new offensive coordinator in Chad Morris. But it goes deeper than that. Clemson is also starting a new quarterback in 2026 after the departure of Cade Klubnik. The frontrunner for the job, Christopher Vizzina, will have no choice but to lean on a strong run game.

Commanding that run game, Morris has large shoes to fill, to say the least. But he seems to have a clear-cut plan for his offense.

“We have to establish a run game,” Morris said.

But every program has to establish a run game — it’s not saying much. But for Clemson specifically, a long history of strong running backs has afforded the program the luxury of a good passing game. Those two aspects are synonymous. If you run well, your opponent has to respect it, which ultimately opens the passing game.

Across their 410 rushing plays in 2025, Adam Randall was trusted with 168 of those touches. He was a workhorse, finishing the season with 814 total yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Not to mention the 254 yards and three touchdowns he logged through the air.

But let's keep going. Before Randall, it was Phil Mafah, who rushed for 1,115 and eight touchdowns on 216 carries in 2024. That’s 5.2 yards per carry.

Before Mafah, it was Will Shipley who tallied 827 yards on 167 carries in 2023.

And years ago, current Jacksonville Jaguar back Travie Etienne finished the 2020 season with more than 1,500 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns.

Offensively, Dabo Swinney’s run game has done more than set the tone for more than a decade.

But since Adam Randall declared for the draft, the status of Clemson’s running back room has been in the air. Swinney picked up former SMU back Chris Johnson Jr. in the offseason, and he is the clear candidate to fulfill the role.

In his 2025 season with the Mustangs, he notched 479 yards on 67 carries. That's a 7.1-yard average per carry. If he can translate those sorts of numbers, Johnson could move mountains for the Tigers in 2026.

With a clear intention to pound the rock, Chad Morris will rely heavily on Johnson in 2026.

But ultimately, it's a new era in Clemson, South Carolina, and it all starts in the backfield.