Tiger Tracker: Departure of Kobe Pace Looks to Have Changed Clemson's Need At RB

Kobe Pace entering the transfer portal appears to have changed Clemson's need at the running back position.

Jason Priester All Clemson

Slow and steady wins the race. That has been the Tigers' approach when it comes to recruiting the running back position in the 2023 class.

Entering the cycle, Clemson needed just one back in this class. However, have those needs changed with Kobe Pace's decision to enter the transfer portal?

Pace's departure leaves the Tigers with four scholarship running backs. Dabo Swinney typically likes to carry five. Will Shipley and Phil Mafah sit atop the depth chart, and while both have multiple years of eligibility, both will be eligible for the NFL Draft following the 2023 season.

Behind them is redshirt sophomore Dominique Thomas, a former walk-on, and true freshman Keith Adams Jr. Both are what many would consider developmental guys.

Thomas has appeared in just four games this season and carried the ball only seven times. Adams has played in two games and will be redshirted. That's not a lot of experience behind Shipley and Mafah, and Clemson is now just one injury away from having to rely on one of those players to be the backup.

With Pace on the roster, the Tigers had some depth and the plan was to take just one running back in the class. However, his departure appears to have left a gaping hole on the depth chart. 

Currently, the staff has offers out to three uncommitted players. Chris Johnson and Jamarius Haynes have held offers and in-state prospect Jarvis Green just picked one up on Thursday night. 

Johnson and Haynes both took official visits the weekend of the South Carolina game and Haynes told All Clemson that if the staff did decide to take two backs, it would not have any impact on his decision. He also added that the message he got from the coaching staff during his visit was quite simple.

"That I couldn’t go wrong with being a Clemson Tiger," Haynes said.

Haynes has just started to see his recruitment take off in recent weeks. When Clemson offered back in October, it was Haynes' first offer of any kind. Washington State has since offered but hasn't gained much traction. He has taken no other visits and will announce on December 21. 

Johnson's recruitment has been harder to get a good read on. Most had him pegged to Miami earlier in the summer, but he never pulled the trigger on a commitment. He also chose to go to Ole Miss rather than attend the All-In Cookout.

However, running backs coach C.J. Spiller stayed the course and finally got him to campus for a game for the home finale. Johnson, who is one of the fastest players in the class, publicly called Clemson his top school immediately following the visit. Since then, he has backtracked, publicly stating his top two schools are Ole Miss and Miami, so he now appears to be off the board.

That leads us to Green, who is currently committed to James Madison. The product of Dutch Fork has been a catalyst in the Silver Foxes' offense and was a big reason his team just won a state title. Green rushed for 241 yards, with two touchdowns in the win over Fort Dorchester, also adding 49 yards through the air, as well as a receiving touchdown. The Clemson offer was one he was waiting on, calling it his dream school.

"An offer from Clemson would mean a lot," Green previously told All Clemson. "Because Clemson is my dream school. I grew up a Clemson fan."

Due to the departure of Pace, it certainly appears the staff will now look to take two running backs in the current class, and with early signing day less than three weeks away, it appears they have found their guys.

Want to join in on the discussion? 100% FREE! Interact with fellow Tiger fans and hear directly from publisher Zach Lentz, deputy editor Brad Senkiw, recruiting analyst Jason Priester and staff writer Will Vandervort on any subject. Click here to become a member of the ALL CLEMSON message board community today!

Get your Tiger tickets from SI Tickets HERE
Do us a HUGE favor and like, subscribe and follow us on social media:
►LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allclemson
►SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/AllClemson
►FOLLOW All Clemson on Twitter:https://twitter.com/All_Clemson
More on All Clemson: /college/clemson/