The leading rusher for Clemson football will not be joining the NFL Draft; instead, he will return for his senior year in 2024, a team representative confirmed to The State on Tuesday. Mafah is now without a doubt the Tigers’ top running back following fellow back Will Shipley’s January 3 draft declaration. According to the league, underclass college football players have until Monday to “petition for special eligibility” for the 2024 NFL Draft. This is the first step juniors normally take in the process of declaring for the draft. A representative for the team verified that Mafah failed to turn in any documentation by the deadline for the draft.
Mafah led the Tigers in rushing yards (965) and rushing touchdowns (13) this season and is coming off a monster Gator Bowl in which he ran 11 times for 71 yards and a Clemson bowl record four touchdowns in a Dec. 29 win over Kentucky. Mafah was widely assumed to be returning for 2024 but told The State ahead of the Gator Bowl that he still hadn’t made a decision on his Clemson future amid a breakout season and would figure that out after the year ended. The former four-star recruit from Georgia set career highs across the board in 2023 and emerged as the team’s starter down the stretch ahead of fellow junior Shipley (827 yards, five rushing touchdowns).
Clemson football’s leading rusher will be returning for his 2024 senior season instead of entering the NFL Draft, a team spokesperson confirmed to The State on Tuesday. That decision situates Mafah as the undisputed No. 1 running back for the Tigers after fellow running back Will Shipley declared for the draft Jan. 3. Monday was the hard deadline for college football underclassmen to “petition for special eligibility” for the 2024 NFL Draft, per the league, which is a routine first step juniors take in their draft declaration process. The team spokesperson confirmed Mafah did not submit any paperwork to declare for the draft by that deadline. Mafah led the Tigers in rushing yards (965) and rushing touchdowns (13) this season and is coming off a monster Gator Bowl in which he ran 11 times for 71 yards and a Clemson bowl record four touchdowns in a Dec. 29 win over Kentucky. Mafah was widely assumed to be returning for 2024 but told The State ahead of the Gator Bowl that he still hadn’t made a decision on his Clemson future amid a breakout season and would figure that out after the year ended. The former four-star recruit from Georgia set career highs across the board in 2023 and emerged as the team’s starter down the stretch ahead of fellow junior Shipley (827 yards, five rushing touchdowns).
