Adam Randall, labeled 'a different breed' by former prep teammate, impresses Clemson staff

"He's rare. I don't know about you. I didn't see many guys in Pelham High School walking the halls look like that."

That was Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who attended Pelham in Pelham, AL, responding to a question about freshman wide receiver Adam Randall's size. 

"I mean literally, you could put him in an NFL locker room anywhere in the country and you'd never pick him out," Coach added last week after the team's scrimmage. "You might pick [Hunter] Renfrow, but you'd never pick that guy."

At 6'2, 215 pounds, Randall does have the physique of an NFL receiver but he's far from the NFL. He’s an early college enrollee who should be roaming the halls of Myrtle Beach High in Myrtle Beach, SC. 

It was often said that Renfrow, due to his boy next door appearance and size (5'10, 150), resembled a team manager or trainer. He made 33 receptions with five touchdowns his freshman year but the former walk-on from Socastee High just 9 miles from Myrtle Beach had a redshirt year to develop.

With Troy Stellato and E.J. Williams injured and Frank Ladson at Miami and Ajou Ajou, USF, Randall is heavily in the mix this spring. 

"When I think Adam Randall I think of grit," offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said. "I think of a guy that's working his butt off and he's probably like, I can't believe I'm getting this many reps.

"Having that big body, I mean, he's got to be 222 pounds right now and he moves, and so he's been really special this first half of spring."

That body sets him apart from most freshmen entering college at his position and of course, his size was noticeable back in Myrtle Beach.  

"Seems like Adam was big when he was born," said Randall's former Myrtle Beach teammate J.J. Jones, a two-year receiver for the Seahawks after transferring from Socastee. 

"When I transferred to Myrtle Beach and saw him, I was like, this dude must be a senior but he was younger than me," said the UNC Tarheels freshman receiver.

Randall's gridiron nickname is "Baby Julio" for seven-time NFL Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones (6'3, 220) and the moniker was in place when J.J. joined the team.

"I don’t know who gave him the name but it speaks for itself," replied Jones on the origin of the nickname. "When you think of Julio Jones you see a big, strong wide receiver that just looks like he's made in the lab. We like to call him [Randall] a different breed -- just built different."

Randall has made some plays since arriving at Clemson and made one or two during the scrimmage. It's early in his career but Swinney has seen enough from the finalist for South Carolina's Mr. Football to place him in an elite group.

"He's hungry. He's got it," Coach said. "He's got what I call the eye of the tiger. It’s very natural to him. He loves to compete. He loves to be coached.

"I think we've had three guys show up in 19 years here that just -- get out of the way -- they're ready to play. I put him in that group."

The three, according to Swinney, are Sammy Watkins, the 2011 ACC Rookie of the Year, Justyn Ross, a freshman All-American selection by 247Sports (2018), and freshman Beaux Collins, who finished second in team receptions (31) in 2021.

Swinney said what distinguishes Randall, Watkins, Ross, and Collins is that they were mentally, physically, fundamentally, and technically "just ready" out of the box while others like NFL standouts Renfrow, regarded as one of the best slots in the league, Nuk Hopkins (Arizona Cardinals), a five-time pro bowler, and Mike Williams, who recently inked a three-year, $60 million contract to remain with the Los Angeles Chargers, needed more time to progress. 

"All the other guys we've had, who we've obviously had a bunch of great players, they were all lacking something," Swinney noted. "They had to get stronger, physically they weren't where they needed to be, mentally they weren't where they needed to be, they were basketball players that needed to learn how to be a receiver, or they were a quarterback like Renfrow."

Renfrow was an option quarterback and Hopkins and Williams were hoop stars at Daniel and Lake Marion, respectively. All were blessed with raw talent but had to develop their slight bodies and position skills.

In addition to his mature body and overall skills, Randall is fast. He was timed at 10.94 in the 100 meters and in December, he covered 40 yards in 4.45 seconds practicing for the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives North-South All-Star game

"Adam is one that once we get the details down, he's physically, fundamentally, and technically just very advanced," stated Swinney. "He's in the process of getting all the details down, but physically he's ready. He's incredibly gifted."