Freshman Running Backs Continue to Impress
Freshmen have staked their claim with competition running all the way up the depth chart to senior running back Lyn-J Dixon.
If early enrollee participants Will Shipley and Phil Mafah want to have a Travis Etienne-level impact as freshmen, their playing time could only go as far as their ability to pass protect.
So far, the two highly-touted high school stars have taken everything on the chin.
"(Shipley) is a natural (in pass protection), him and Mafah," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "They're very natural players, both incredibly well-coached in high school. They're coming from systems where they've been asked to do certain similar things (as us). So I'm really excited about both of those guys. They're way ahead of the curve."
Tigers' offensive coordinator Tony Elliott was also quick to praise Mafah early in the spring, despite Elliott's position group switch to tight ends. Mafah suffered a leg injury late in his senior high school season and has hit his stride perfectly as Clemson sits halfway through spring practice.
"Then today in our work, Phil Mafah, he flashed," Elliott said. "I think everybody's like, 'Man, that's a big guy,' but everything has been controlled. Today we got out the way and let him play, and he popped a big long run, and you saw the explosion that he has."
Elliott was swift to offer praise for Shipley directly after talking about Mafah. Both running backs offer Clemson completely different skill sets that could end up complementing one another when it's all said and done for their careers, as Shipley comes in a polished pass-catcher and route-runner. At the same time, Mafah suits a playstyle similar to former Alabama running back Najee Harris.
"You know Shipley, every time we see that cat man. He's flying around 100 miles an hour. So the best thing is that there's competition there (at running back)," Elliott said.
The competition will be the most underrated factor for both of these young running backs' success, and new running backs coach C.J. Spiller has already seen his group thrive off of intensity in only nine days of practice so far.
"C.J. is doing an awesome; I love how he's managing those guys. They're all in it, and they're all competing. It's just really competitive, (running back) is one of the most competitive spots on our team," Swinney said in a post-practice media conference.
"And then those two young guys are just special. I mean, they really are. So that one's gonna go a while, that's gonna be an incredibly competitive position, and it's gonna make us better. It's gonna make all of them better, and it's gonna make us better."
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