Clemson Standout Named Among Underrated NFL Draft Prospects

This rising Clemson senior was recently named among the underrated 2025 NFL Draft prospects heading into the upcoming college football campaign.

CBS Sports highlighted one under-the-radar draft prospect for each team in the CBS Sports post-spring top 25 ahead of the 2024 season – players “with an enticing NFL future” who have the best chance to elevate their draft stock.

Clemson is No. 14 in the aforementioned top 25 rankings, and CBS Sports named running back Phil Mafah as the Tigers’ underrated draft prospect entering the upcoming season.

“Mafah punished ACC defenders with his physical and explosive running style and should get more touches this season as the featured back,” wrote CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer, a former All-American offensive lineman at Texas and first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL Draft.

“His well-rounded skill set includes blocking and pass-catching. That should all translate to a bright future at the next level.”

While Mafah just missed CBS Sports’ spring ranking of college football’s top 100 players in the 2024 season, Mafah was named by CBS Sports among “college football’s second tier of stars for the 2024 season” and came in at No. 108 in that ranking of players from Nos. 101-150.

Mafah was also recently tabbed as a second-team preseason All-ACC selection by Athlon Sports.

Mafah is coming off a 2023 campaign during which he recorded career highs in rushing attempts (179), rushing yards (965), rushing touchdowns (13), receptions (21) and receiving yards (108) over 13 games (five starts).

A former four-star Peach State prospect, Mafah enters the 2024 season with 345 career carries for 1,772 yards and 20 touchdowns, as well as 37 career receptions for 206 yards, across 36 games (seven starts) from 2021-23.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder shined with a stellar performance in Clemson’s come-from-behind Gator Bowl victory over Kentucky this past December, recording a Clemson bowl record four rushing touchdowns, including three fourth-quarter scores.

A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available.  Get yours while supplies last!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!