One look at Adam Randall on a football field, and it’d be easy to assume he’s been going through a college strength and conditioning program for a few years. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney even took it one step further.
“Physically, you could put him in an NFL locker room and he could fit right in,” Swinney said.
But the Tigers’ young receiver is still a few years away from possibly playing at the next level.
In fact, Randall is just five practices into his collegiate career, though he hardly looks like he’s only been on Clemson’s campus since January. The true freshman is one of nine mid-year enrollees in the Tigers’ 2022 recruiting class going through spring practice.
He might be the most physically mature of the newcomers, especially considering the position he plays. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Randall is already as filled out as any receiver on the roster. For comparison’s sake, junior Joseph Ngata, Clemson’s biggest receiver, goes 6-3 and 220 pounds.
Randall’s stature is already drawing a likeness to some of the NFL’s top big-bodied wideouts. He’s just an inch shorter and 11 pounds lighter than Tennessee Titans All-Pro A.J. Brown, though quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei had a different comparison in mind.
“You see him out there, and he kind of looks more like a (Seattle Seahawks receiver) DK Metcalf,” Uiagalelei said. “Kind of like a Joe Ngata. He’s big like that.”
Uiagalelei said that doesn’t mean Randall can’t separate from defensive backs.
“He’s a raw talent. Runs routes very well. Catches the ball really well,” Uiagalelei said. “He’s really fast. Has a lot of deceptive speed.”
Randall used his skill set to turn into one of the top recruits in South Carolina coming out of Myrtle Beach High, where he had 65 catches for 1,267 yards and 16 touchdown receptions as a senior this past season. An Under Armour All-American, Randall was one of two four-star receivers to sign with Clemson this year, joining fellow in-state standout Antonio Williams.
Clemson has four of its top five receivers back from last season, but with Justyn Ross moving on to the NFL and E.J. Williams (knee) out this spring, Randall has gotten some second-team reps on the outside. Like most freshmen, there’s an adjustment to make to the college game, but it hasn’t taken Randall long to show what he’s capable of out wide.
“He made a couple of plays (Wednesday) that were special,” Swinney said. “But just some little things as far as some technique and some release techniques. A lot coming at him through five days of installation, but he’s exactly what we’d hoped he would be.”
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