Scholar takes ages, with total backing (7)
I believe the answer is:
erasmus
'scholar' is the definition.
(Erasmus is an example)
'ages with total backing' is the wordplay.
'ages' becomes 'eras' (I've seen this before).
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'total' becomes 'sum' ('sum' can be a synonym of 'total').
'backing' says the letters should be written backwards.
'sum' reversed gives 'mus'.
'eras'+'mus'='ERASMUS'
'takes' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for erasmus that I've seen before include "Problems are mounting for famous Dutchman" , "Desiderius -, fifteenth and sixteenth century Dutch humanist" , "religious scholar" , "Humanist critical of Church" , "He praised folly" .)