Phil Mafah, RJ Mickens announced for college all-star game |
Two Clemson standouts were announced to have accepted invitations to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Third-team All-ACC pick Phil Mafah and All-ACC honorable mention R.J. Mickens made the invitees for the Jan. 30 game at Cowboys Stadium (8 p.m./NFLN). Mafah Clemson bio Punishing running back recorded 561 rushing attempts for 2,887 yards and 28 touchdowns as well as 58 receptions for 309 yards in 1,687 career snaps over 50 games (21 starts) from 2021-24 … also went 1-for-2 passing for 19 yards in his career … finished career ranked ninth in Clemson history in career rushing yards (2,887) and tied for 10th in career rushing touchdowns (28) … combined with Will Shipley in 2023 to form only the seventh Clemson running back duo to each eclipse 750 rushing yards in a single season since 1948, Clemson’s first pair of backs to do so since “Thunder and Lightning” James Davis and C.J. Spiller in 2007 … recorded one of the most memorable bowl game performances in school history, recording a Clemson-bowl-record four rushing touchdowns in the 2023 Gator Bowl against Kentucky including three fourth-quarter scores in a comeback victory. 2024: Third-team All-ACC selection … William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist … rushed 216 times for 1,115 yards with eight touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 103 yards in 703 snaps over 14 games (all starts) … one of 12 Clemson players to start every game … voted by his teammates as a permanent team captain … hampered all year by a preseason shoulder injury … posted 981 rushing yards and eight touchdowns over Clemson’s first nine games of the season … recorded the 24th 1,000-yard rushing season in Clemson history … his 1,115 yards ranked 14th in a season in Clemson history … rushed 16 times for 59 yards vs. No. 1 Georgia … rushed 10 times for 118 yards including a career-long 83-yard touchdown run vs. Appalachian State, Clemson’s longest run since a 90-yard run by Travis Etienne in 2019 … rushed seven times for 107 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 15 yards vs. NC State, and his seven carries were the fewest by a Clemson player amid a 100-yard rushing performance since both Lyn-J Dixon (four) and Tavien Feaster (six) recorded fewer carries during 100-yard rushing games against Louisville in 2018 … became the 22nd player in Clemson history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards on a 38-yard touchdown run in that contest … gained 58 yards on 10 carries vs. Stanford … led Clemson with a then-season-high 154 rushing yards on 25 carries at Florida State … rushed 19 times for 108 yards with two touchdowns at Wake Forest … rushed 18 times for 78 yards with two touchdowns and recorded a career-long 22-yard reception vs. Virginia … rushed 30 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 28 yards vs. Louisville, finishing the game with 199 all-purpose yards and one yard shy of posting the first 200-yard all-purpose performance by a Clemson player since Will Shipley’s 242 all-purpose yards against Syracuse in 2021 … with his two touchdowns against Louisville, he became the first Clemson player to rush for multiple touchdowns in three straight games since Will Shipley across the first three games of the 2022 season … broke his single-season career high in rushing yards while rushing 26 times for 128 yards at Virginia Tech … rushed 17 times for 17 yards and caught two passes for two yards at Pitt … with 14 yards on three carries in a brief cameo vs. The Citadel, he posted the 24th 1,000-yard rushing season in Clemson history and became the 18th player in Clemson annals to record at least one 1,000-yard rushing season … rushed 20 times for 66 yards vs. No. 16 South Carolina … gained 28 yards on 13 carries vs. No. 8 SMU … tried to play at No. 3 Texas, but exited after two early carries for nine yards. 2023: Fourth-team All-ACC pick by Phil Steele … recorded career highs in rushing attempts (179), rushing yards (965), rushing touchdowns (13), receptions (21) and receiving yards (108) in 506 snaps over 13 games (five starts) … combined with Will Shipley to form only Clemson’s fifth duo (and third running back duo excluding quarterbacks) to each eclipse 800 rushing yards in a single season since 1948, Clemson’s first pair of backs to accomplish the feat since “Thunder and Lightning” James Davis and C.J. Spiller in 2007 … Clemson was one of only six schools alongside Liberty, Louisville, San Jose State, UCLA and Virginia Tech to produce multiple 800-yard rushers, and of that group, Clemson was one of only four to accomplish the feat with multiple running backs rather than one running back and one quarterback … his 13 rushing touchdowns gave Clemson at least one player with double-digit rushing touchdowns in a ninth consecutive season … his five starts all came in Clemson’s five-game season-ending winning streak … All-ACC Academic Team selection … rushed 11 times for 65 yards, including a 49-yard scamper, and caught two passes for 14 yards at Duke … notched the first multi-touchdown game of his career while rushing nine times for 59 yards with two scores vs. Charleston Southern … recorded a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time in his career upon scoring a touchdown amid his five carries for 42 yards vs. Florida Atlantic … rushed 10 times for 69 yards, including a 46-yard scamper, vs. No. 4 Florida State … helped seal a win at Syracuse with a late 32-yard touchdown run among his eight carries for 43 yards … rushed nine times for 63 yards vs. Wake Forest, including four carries for 33 yards on a game-sealing drive … gained 14 yards on five carries and added a three-yard reception at Miami (Fla.) … rushed 16 times for 84 yards with two touchdowns at NC State … recorded a career-high 186 rushing yards on a school-record-tying 36 carries with a career-high-tying two rushing touchdowns vs. No. 12 Notre Dame, collecting ACC Running Back of the Week honors … his 36 carries against the Irish tied the school record shared by Jim Shirley (36 against NC State in 1951), Ray Yauger (36 against Wake Forest in 1969) and Raymond Priester (36 against Maryland in 1997) … his 186 yards in that game were the most by a Clemson player since Kobe Pace’s 191-yard rushing performance against Wake Forest in 2021 … rushed for 96 yards on 17 carries and caught a 19-yard pass vs. Georgia Tech … rushed 23 times for 84 yards with a touchdown vs. No. 20 North Carolina … rushed 19 times for a team-high 89 yards and caught a five-yard pass at South Carolina … earned Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player honors vs. Kentucky after rushing 11 times for 71 yards with a career-high four rushing touchdowns … his four rushing touchdowns in the game broke the Clemson bowl record (three by Tracy Johnson vs. Penn State in the 1988 Citrus Bowl) and the Gator Bowl record (three set by many players), as he became the first Clemson player to rush for four touchdowns in a game since C.J. Spiller against Georgia Tech in the 2009 ACC Championship Game … three of his Gator Bowl touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, making him the first Clemson player to score three touchdowns in any single quarter since DeAndre Hopkins against Duke in 2012. 2022: Recorded career highs with 98 carries for 515 yards and four touchdowns and added nine catches for 48 yards in 308 offensive snaps over 14 games (one start) … All-ACC Academic Team selection … gained 28 yards on eight carries at Georgia Tech … rushed five times for 20 yards vs. Furman … rushed seven times for 30 yards with a touchdown vs. Louisiana Tech … gained 26 yards on seven carries at No. 21 Wake Forest … gained 22 yards on five carries vs. No. 10 NC State, including a key 15-yard gain on a third-and-9 in the red zone that extended Clemson’s final touchdown drive … rushed seven times for 36 yards at Boston College … gained 27 yards on six carries and caught three passes for 13 yards at Florida State … rushed for a then-career-high 94 yards on 18 carries vs. No. 14 Syracuse … rushed three times for 11 yards at Notre Dame … rushed 10 times for a career-high 106 yards with a 39-yard touchdown run vs. Louisville, earning team offensive player of the game after his 10 carries were the fewest by a Clemson 100-yard rusher since the 2020 ACC Championship Game (10 by Travis Etienne) … rushed six times for 24 yards and caught a 17-yard pass vs. Miami (Fla.) … gained 42 yards on seven carries vs. South Carolina … rushed twice for 10 yards and completed a 19-yard pass to Cade Klubnik vs. No. 24 North Carolina … rushed for 39 yards on seven carries in the Orange Bowl vs. No. 6 Tennessee. 2021: Initially planned to redshirt but was called into action following attrition at running back … recorded 292 yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries and gained 50 yards on seven receptions over 170 offensive snaps in nine games (one start) … made his collegiate debut vs. Boston College, rushing eight times for 58 yards … rushed nine times for 30 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards at Syracuse … recorded 14 rushing yards and his first career rushing touchdown on three carries at No. 23 Pitt … recorded a career-long 63-yard run — Clemson’s longest rush since Travis Etienne’s 72-yard touchdown run against Miami in 2020 — among his 69 yards on nine carries vs. Florida State … gained 21 yards on seven carries at Louisville … rushed 17 times for 49 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 26 yards vs. UConn … carried twice vs. No. 13 Wake Forest … added 43 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries at South Carolina … gained seven yards on two carries vs. Iowa State. Before Clemson: Unanimous top 300 player nationally … ranked No. 178 by 247Sports, which also listed him as the 11th-best running back in the nation and 16th-best player in Georgia … ranked No. 148 by Rivals.com, which ranked him as the eighth-best running back in the nation and 12th-best player in Georgia … ESPN300 member who was listed as a four-star prospect by all services … PrepStar Top 350 All-American who was ranked by the service as the nation’s No. 159 overall recruit, the No. 13 running bank and No. 15 player in Georgia … in three years at Grayson High, rushed for 2,526 yards on 288 carries, an 8.8-yard average, and scored 37 total touchdowns … had 10 100-yard rushing games in 29 career games … also recorded 20 career receptions for 224 yards and four scores … rushed for 1,130 yards on 130 attempts (8.7 per rush) in 2020, scoring 18 touchdowns and notching five 100-yard rushing games … helped his team to a 14-0 record and 2020 state title … had career-high 222 rushing yards on 16 carries against McEachern, a 13.9-yard average, with two scores … followed that with games of 23 rushes for 175 yards, 19 for 142 yards and 20 for 146 yards … had 676 yards and a 10-yard average in 2019, missing four games with a broken collarbone … recorded 720 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018 … committed to Clemson on Aug. 29, 2019 as the Tigers first commit of the 2021 recruiting class … recruited by Mickey Conn and Tony Elliott … played for Adam Carter at Grayson High School … attended same high school as several former Clemson players, including NFL running back Wayne Gallman … attended high school with Clemson men’s basketball forward Ian Schieffelin; the pair played on the same eighth grade football team. Personal: Enrolled at Clemson in January 2021 … born Oct. 24, 2002 … earned degree in management in May 2024 … completed a microinternship at National Football League headquarters in New York in spring 2022 … three-time ACC Honor Roll selection (2021-23) … two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree (2022-23) … represented Clemson alongside Dabo Swinney at South Carolina Coaches for Charity in July 2024. Mickens Clemson bio NFL legacy who recorded 229 tackles (13.5 for loss), seven interceptions, 15 pass breakups and a fumble recovery over 2,174 career snaps in 60 games (30 starts) from 2020-24 … became the 10th player in Clemson history to play 60 career games, joining James Skalski, Will Spiers, Will Swinney, B.T. Potter, Nolan Turner, Justin Mascoll, Xavier Thomas, Jalyn Phillips and Will Putnam. 2024: Finished third on the team with a career-high 85 tackles (including a career-high 6.0 for loss) and added seven pass breakups and two interceptions in 750 defensive snaps over 13 games (all starts) … voted by his teammates as a permanent team captain … contributed six tackles and two pass breakups vs. No. 1 Georgia … posted seven tackles vs. NC State … collected a career-high 11 tackles (0.5 for loss) vs. Stanford … credited with six tackles at Florida State … made four tackles at Wake Forest … collected six tackles (one for loss) vs. Virginia … made three tackles (one for loss) vs. Louisville … collected five tackles, two pass breakups and an interception at Virginia Tech … collected 10 tackles (including a career-high 2.0 for loss) and a pass breakup at Pitt … tied for team lead with nine tackles and contributed a pass breakup vs. No. 16 South Carolina … credited with 10 tackles (0.5 for loss), a pass breakup and an interception at No. 3 Texas. 2023: Ranked third on the team with 50 tackles (4.0 for loss) and was credited with four pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 532 snaps over 11 games (nine starts) … recorded five tackles and a pass breakup at Duke … recorded one tackle vs. Charleston Southern … added two tackles vs. Florida Atlantic … posted team-high seven tackles (0.5 for loss) vs. No. 4 Florida State … notched four tackles and two pass breakups at Syracuse … registered a team-high nine tackles (one for loss) and the first fumble recovery of his career vs. Wake Forest … added nine tackles (one for loss) at Miami (Fla.) … returned from an appendectomy by recording four tackles (0.5 for loss) vs. Georgia Tech … accrued four tackles and a pass breakup vs. No. 20 North Carolina … added two tackles at South Carolina … posted three tackles (one for loss) in the Gator Bowl vs. Kentucky … collected eight tackles (one for loss) vs. No. 8 SMU. 2022: Third-team All-ACC selection by Pro Football Focus … credited with 55 tackles (3.0 for loss), a team-high three interceptions and two pass breakups in 519 defensive snaps over 13 games (six starts) … contributed three tackles and a pass breakup at Georgia Tech … credited with seven tackles vs. Furman … posted five tackles and his first interception of the season vs. Louisiana Tech … contributed four tackles at No. 21 Wake Forest … credited with five tackles vs. No. 10 NC State … made four tackles (1.5 for loss) at Florida State … added one tackle and the game-winning interception vs. No. 14 Syracuse … made three tackles at Notre Dame … posted three tackles (one for loss) vs. Louisville … recorded three tackles and a pass deflection that led to a Jalyn Phillips interception vs. Miami (Fla.) … recorded four tackles (0.5 for loss) and his career-high third interception of the season vs. South Carolina … made five tackles vs. No. 24 North Carolina … posted eight tackles in the Orange Bowl vs. No. 6 Tennessee. 2021: Credited with 37 tackles (0.5 for loss), two interceptions and two pass breakups over 337 snaps in 13 games (two starts) … contributed on special teams vs. No. 5 Georgia … earned a third-team all-conference nod from Phil Steele … recorded two tackles and his first career interception (which he returned 37 yards) vs. SC State … registered a then-career-high 10 tackles at NC State … added three tackles and his second interception of the season vs. Boston College … had one tackle and a pass breakup at Syracuse … contributed eight tackles at No. 23 Pitt … credited with eight tackles (0.5 for loss) at Louisville … made three tackles vs. UConn … added one tackle vs. No. 13 Wake Forest … made one tackle vs. Iowa State. 2020: Credited with two tackles in 36 snaps over 10 games … made collegiate debut at Wake Forest … recorded one tackle vs. The Citadel … thrust into action defensively late in double overtime game at No. 4 Notre Dame … contributed a tackle at Virginia Tech. Before Clemson: Played for Riley Dodge at Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas … as a four-year starter, recorded 211 career tackles, eight interceptions and 40 passes defensed and added 61 receptions for 1,092 yards and 14 touchdowns offensively … was also an outstanding punt returner with 29 career returns for 574 yards, a 19.8-yard average … recorded 19 tackles, a tackle for loss and three passes broken up in limited action and added seven punt returns for 121 yards, a 17.3-yard average in 2019 … posted 57 tackles in 2018, adding two interceptions, five total pass breakups and a tackle for loss while also contributing 14 punt returns for 294 yards, 21.0 yards per return … as a sophomore in 2017, posted a career-high 99 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions and 15 passes defensed … averaged 20 yards per punt return on eight returns as a sophomore … had 13 passes defensed, three interceptions and 36 tackles as a freshman … selected to U.S. Army All-American Bowl … during early signing period, ranked as No. 33 overall player in the nation, the second-best safety and fourth-best player in Texas by PrepStar … 247Sports ranked him as the No. 98 overall player, the seventh-best safety and the 15th-best player in the state of Texas … ESPN.com listed him as the No. 138 overall player, the 12th-best safety and the 22nd-best player in Texas … listed as the No. 194 overall player in the nation by Rivals.com … was a preseason second-team MaxPreps All-American for 2019 … committed to Clemson on April 6, 2019 … recruited to Clemson by Mickey Conn. Personal: Born July 10, 2001 … son of former Texas A&M All-American defensive back Ray Mickens, Sr. … Ray Mickens, Sr. was a third-round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, for whom he played for eight seasons, and played one year in Cleveland for a total of 146 career NFL games … enrolled at Clemson in January 2020 … earned degree in management in December 2023. Punisher 👊 All-Star 💫
RB Phil Mafah (@PhilMafah1) from @ClemsonFB has officially accepted his invite to the 100th East-West #ShrineBowl!#Clemson | #ShrineBowlWHOSNEXT 😎 pic.twitter.com/5yns9LYTcS
Safety RJ Mickens (@RjMickens10) from @ClemsonFB has officially accepted his invite to the 100th East-West #ShrineBowl!#Clemson | #ShrineBowlWHOSNEXT 😎 pic.twitter.com/L4oxbR0rJK
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