Swinney Says Clemson Needs More Consistency from Adam Randall

While some of the younger wide receivers at Clemson are stepping up, sophomore Adam Randall is struggling to regain his form after multiple injuries sustained as a freshman.

Randall tore an ACL in the spring of 2022. He would return last season but never was the player he had been hyped up to be before the ACL.

He went on to deal with a hand injury late last season and then had a surgical procedure on his other knee after the season which kept him out of spring practice this season. When he returned for fall camp, expectations were high. Maybe too high, all things considered.

Randall was not the starter for the season opener at Duke. Nolan Turner was. After Turner’s injury, Randall started against FAU and Florida State, registering just two catches in each game. Last week against Syracuse, Randall played just seven offensive snaps, with Troy Stellato getting the bulk of the work.

Head coach Dabo Swinney talked about Randall while addressing the media on Tuesday, noting that the wideout needs to be more consistent.

“Inconsistent. Kind of inconsistent. That would be my biggest thing right now,” Swinney said. “He has not had quite as much opportunity, so some of it is not his fault, but just a little inconsistent. We just got to get him to cut it loose. This kid is a great talent and a great player. We just need a little bit more consistency from him in a couple of areas.”

At the same time, it was evident Swinney still believes in the young player. Maybe Randall doesn’t fully have trust in those knees just yet. Maybe it is something else. Either way, it is clear Swinney still has high hopes for the former 4-star recruit.

“Just inconsistent with having his motor running all the time,” Swinney said. “I think that is the biggest thing with him. When his motor is running, he is a handful. As you saw with the first PI (pass interference), he ran right by the guy, and sometimes he will (slow down) a little bit, and we just have to get him to consistently cut it loose. When he does, he is a problem.”