While much of the attention within Clemson’s newest crop of wideouts has been paid to Adam Randall for various reasons, two more freshmen receivers have caught the eye of head coach Dabo Swinney during preseason camp.
Antonio Williams and Cole Turner didn’t arrive on campus until the summer, months after Randall impressed his new coaches and teammates alike with his stature and overall talent during the spring. It was cut short for the former Myrtle Beach High standout when Randall tore his ACL in late March, an injury the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder continues to work his way back from during camp.
Williams and Turner are just seven practices into their Clemson careers but have made a similar first impression.
“I haven’t had a chance to have Cole and Antonio (until now),” Swinney said. “Man, those are two exciting prospects.”
An Under Armour All-American, Williams was the more highly sought-after prospect who also played his prep ball in the state at Dutch Fork High in Irmo. Swinney said the smaller, shiftier Williams, at 6-0 and 180 pounds, has impressed with a versatile skill set that starts with being “quick as a cat.”
“Antonio is just a really smooth and a very knowledgeable, young player,” Swinney said. “He’s got a lot of good experience. He’s played ball at a high level in this state and he’s had a lot of success, and you see that in him. He’s still got to get stronger and we’ve still got to bring him along and he’s competing against some pretty good vets out here, but we’ve got a good group.”
As for Turner, he flew under the radar during his recruitment much like his older brother, former Clemson safety Nolan Turner. But Swinney said Turner, who played his high school ball at Vestavia Hills (Alabama), has turned heads early with his natural pass-catching ability.
“He hasn’t dropped a ball,” Swinney said. “He catches everything. If he touches it, he catches it. He’s got some of the most natural ball skills, body control and reactionary ability to wherever the ball is that everything he touches, he catches.”
So will both be immediate contributors for the Tigers?
Williams projects in the slot, where he’s facing plenty of competition from Brannon Spector, E.J. Williams and Will Taylor. But he doubles as a prolific returner, a special-teams role he handled during high school that could increase his chances of seeing the field early.
Clemson has also gotten a look at Turner as a punt returner, though Swinney said Turner needs a year in the weight room to start filling out his 6-2, 180-pound frame. That puts Turner in line for a redshirt year barring a rash of injuries at the receiver position.
“But I’m telling you,” Swinney said of Turner, “that kid right there is going to be special.”
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