The Clemson Insider gives a scouting report on every player on Clemson’s expected two-deep depth chart. We will break down what the player does best, what he needs to work on, how he compares to other former players at his position and where we see him fit on the Clemson roster.
Player name: Hunter Renfrow
Player position: Wide receiver (slot)
Years left of eligibility: 2 years
Projected rank on depth chart: First
Player productivity so far: Originally a walk-on who earned a scholarship in August of 2015 while putting together one of the great stories in Clemson history with four touchdowns in two National Championship games against Alabama. Renfrow caught the game-winning touchdown with one second to play in the 2017 National Championship Game, giving Clemson its second title in history. He has 77 receptions for 987 yards and 11 touchdowns in 26 career games, including 19 starts. He has 26 career receptions and five touchdowns in four College Football Playoff appearances.
What player does best: Renfrow knows how to get open. Former Clemson wide receiver Artavis Scott called him the best route runner he has ever seen and said he used to watch Renfrow in practice to pick up on the things he was doing so he could use it as well. Renfrow also has great hands as he very rarely drops a pass that comes his way.
What player needs to work on: The things Renfrow needs to work on are the same things that make him so special. His weakness is his size. He is 5-foot-11, 180 pounds. But it was because of hearing he was too small and too short to play college football at the FBS level is what motivates him. He has been determined his whole career to prove those naysayers wrong.
Productivity of former Clemson players at the position (first year and last):
Tyler Grisham, 2005: He caught 10 passes for 101 yards for 10.1 yards per catch. He did not score a touchdown and averaged 9.2 yards per game. He played in 11 games his freshman season.
Tyler Grisham, 2008: He was third on the team with 37 catches for 372 yards. He averaged 10.1 yards per catch while playing in 13 games. He averaged 28.6 yards per game and scored one touchdown.
Jaron Brown, 2009: He played in 11 games and caught three passes for 30 yards and scored one touchdown. He averaged 10 yards per catch and 2.7 yards per game.
Jaron Brown, 2012: Had 21 receptions for 345 yards. He played in 13 games and averaged 16.4 yards per catch with a long of 38 yards. He averaged 26.5 yards per game.
Adam Humphries, 2011: He played in 14 games while catching 15 passes for 130 yards. He averaged 8.7 yards per catch with a long of 18 yards. He averaged 9.3 yards per game.
Adam Humphries, 2014: He finished third on the team with 30 receptions for 204 yards. He averaged 6.8 yards per catch with a long of 18 yards. He averaged 15.7 yards per game.
What can you hope for? You can hope that Renfrow continues to get better. He is already the best slot receiver this offense has had. Last year, he caught 44 passes for 495 yards and scored six touchdowns while playing in just 11 games. That’s better than anyone season Humphries or Brown ever had at Clemson. Both players are now in the NFL.
What is a realistic expectation? It is realistic to expect Renfrow to catch in the neighborhood of 50 passes for 500-plus yards while scoring somewhere around 6-10 touchdowns.
What about the future? Renfrow loves playing for Dabo Swinney and loves Clemson. Even if he has a better year than we even expect, we can see him returning for his senior year and building his legacy even more. It is hard to believe with all he has accomplished already that he is just a redshirt junior.