A punishing Clemson power back who scored on his lone NFL carry of a rookie season otherwise wiped out by injury.
Phil Mafah built a reputation at Clemson as a bruising, between-the-tackles runner before Dallas took him in the seventh round of the 2025 draft. A shoulder injury cost him almost his entire rookie season, but he made the most of his one chance to play.
Path to the league
Mafah finished his Clemson career ninth in school history with 2,887 rushing yards and tied for 10th with 28 rushing touchdowns. As a senior in 2024, he ran for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns on 216 carries, earning third-team All-ACC honors. Dallas selected him with the 239th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, acquired in a trade with Tennessee.
Career highlights
Mafah's calling card was his physical running style at 6-foot-1 and 234 pounds, projecting as a short-yardage and red zone option who could complement more explosive backs in Dallas's offense.
2025 season recap
Mafah spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury and was inactive for all but the final week. Dallas activated him for the Week 18 finale against the Giants, where he scored on a one-yard touchdown run in his NFL debut, finishing the season with five carries for 18 yards and a touchdown.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Phil Mafah
- ESPN: Phil Mafah
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Rushing
1 games played▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cowboys | 1 | 5 | 18 | 3.6 | 1 | 8 |
▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cowboys | 1 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 10 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- Clemson
- Hometown
- Loganville, GA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
