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Clemson’s top returning tailback, Phil Mafah, and the University of South Carolina’s newest offensive weapon – Raheim “Rocket” Sanders – both made a nationwide watchlist for an award honoring the nation’s top running back.
Mafah and Sanders made the preseason cut for the Doak Walker Award, named in honor of 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker. Last year’s winner, Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II is also on the list. Gordon, in fact, is hoping to become the fourth two-time recipient (following Jonathan Taylor in 2018-19, Darren McFadden in 2006-07 and Ricky Williams in 1996-97). Last year’s finalist Omarion Hampton of North Carolina is also on the list.
With Will Shipley off to the National Football League (NFL), Mafah is projected as the featured back in Clemson’s offense headed into 2024. Through three seasons in Tigertown, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound graduate senior has amassed 1,772 yards and 20 touchdowns – including 965 yards and 13 touchdowns during his breakthrough campaign last season. Mafah also caught 21 passes for 108 yards last year.
Not bad for a player with only seven career starts to his name.
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Mafah, 21, of Loganville, Georgia has already earned his degree from Clemson. In addition to his on-field exploits, he is a two-time All-ACC academic team honoree.
Mafah began generating national attention after scoring four touchdowns during Clemson’s thrilling come-from-behind Gator bowl win over Kentucky to close out the 2023 season. His scoring spree set both a school record – and a Gator Bowl record – for touchdowns by one player.
Down the road in Columbia, S.C., long-suffering South Carolina fans are hoping Sanders – a transfer from Arkansas – will become the sort of featured back the program has lacked in recent years.
During his three years with the Razorbacks, Sanders logged 18 starts and appeared in 32 games – amassing 2,230 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught 49 passes for 455 yards and three touchdowns. After earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2022 as a sophomore – rushing for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns – Sanders was injured in Arkansas’ season-opening game against Western Carolina and missed six contests.
Sanders, 22, transferred to South Carolina and joined head coach Shane Beamer‘s program in January. He did not participate in spring practice due to his ongoing rehabilitation from shoulder surgery – however he stayed in Columbia all summer to workout.
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Sanders has been participating in fall practice without restrictions, and spoke to reporters this week regarding his status. According to the tailback, he is “not limited” in any way as he ramps up ahead of the 2024 season opener against Old Dominion at Williams-Brice Stadium on August 31, 2024.
“I actually feel great,” Sanders said, telling reporters he was practicing in pads and even “throwing my shoulder in there” when drawing contact.
South Carolina posted a disappointing 5-7 record last year in its third season under Beamer. One of the big reasons the Gamecocks struggled was their inability to move the football on the ground. Under first-year offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, South Carolina ranked dead last in the 14-team SEC with only 1,021 total rushing yards. That mark was actually fifth-worst in the entire nation – and is one of the reason Beamer enters 2024 with the temperature under his seat a bit higher than it was a year ago.
While Loggains remains the Gamecocks’ top play-caller, Beamer brought in former Georgia State head coach – and former South Carolina interim head coach – Shawn Elliott to handle the running game in 2024.
Clemson enters the 2024 season coming off of similarly disappointing campaign in which the program failed to win at least ten games for the first time since 2010. The Tigers are also in the midst of a divisive court battle with the ACC – while head coach Dabo Swinney is drawing his fair share of criticism over his views on the revised College Football Playoff (CFP) format.
The Tigers open their upcoming slate at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against presumed No. 1 Georgia in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As mentioned, South Carolina opens at home against Old Dominion at 4:15 p.m. EDT that same afternoon.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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