Swinney says Clemson's running backs will be a productive group this season

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CLEMSON — Who will start at running back for Clemson when the Tigers face off against LSU in Death Valley in late August? It's still to be determined. While the spring was informative, the summer and August camp will tell the tale of the depth chart, and that competition might last into the season.

Phil Mafah and his 561 rushing attempts for 2,887 yards and 28 touchdowns are headed to the NFL, leaving the Tigers with a bit of an experience vacuum at running back heading into the 2025 season. Keith Adams has the most experience (44 career carries), followed by the 43 carries earned by Jay Haynes last season.

Jarvis Green has 12 carries during his Clemson career, while David Eziomume earned 10 while redshirting last season. Walk-on Peyton Streko has two career carries, while freshman Gideon Davidson will see his first action this season.

Eziomume paced the rushing attack during the spring game Saturday with 11 attempts for 69 yards, including a 30-yard scoring run to help seal the victory for the offense. Adams had seven carries for 47 yards, while Davidson had nine carries for 31 yards. Streko had three carries for 11 yards and a touchdown, while Randall recorded just one carry.

Head coach Dabo Swinney said he understands the questions about the running back room will linger.

“I know everybody's going to just question us all year and I don't blame you,” Swinney said. “They have to go do it, right? They have to all go prove it. We can't just talk about it, we got to go do it. But from practice, from meetings, I mean we're really encouraged from what we've seen.”

Swinney said several players had good springs.

“I thought Eziomume had a really good day. He's stacking days. He's had a couple of really good days,” he said. “Adam Randall has been awesome all spring. I mean, he's been really good, so I'm really pleased with him. And then Gideon has been great. Obviously, Jay Haynes, I mean, he was our most improved player last year, and he's out. Jarvis was having a really good spring and he got a midfoot sprain, so he was out.

“But it's a good group. I mean, it's a really good group. Little Streko, Streko gets in there and Streko’s not big. He can be a tough matchup from a protection standpoint, so you've got to be smart with how you use him. But he gets in there, and he's productive. I mean, it's a deep group, and I think when it's all said and done, it'll be a very productive group for us throughout the season.”

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