Adam Randall Plays Shockingly Well for Clemson Tigers at Running Back in CFP

With no other options, the Clemson Tigers turned to Adam Randall to play running back in the CFP.

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson wide receiver Adam Randall (8) runs down the hill before a game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers were unable to advance in the College Football Playoff, as they suffered a 14-point loss to the Texas Longhorns. 

In the first-round of the CFP, the Tigers gave it their all, but it was unfortunately not enough to pull of the big upset against the Longhorns. 

Coming into the game, there was a lot of talk about the daunting Texas defense. This is certainly one of the best units in the country, but a lot of credit should go to the Clemson offense for their performance in this one. 

Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik was able to have a great game against the Longhorns, as he totaled 336 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception. The Tigers were heavily reliant on the passing attack, as it became clear early on that running back Phil Mafah was not healthy in this one. 

Coming into the game, Mafah’s status was one being monitored, and while he gave it a go, he didn’t play much in the loss. With backup running back Jay Haynes out with a torn ACL, Clemson had to get creative by using wide receiver Adam Randall at the position. This was certainly a surprise, but Randall looked pretty good out of the backfield. After the game, Swinney spoke about the decision to use him out of the backfield. 

“Last week. Actually, after the championship game,” Swinney said during his postgame press conference following the loss to Texas. “The best thing he does is run with the ball, so hey, let’s see if we can create a little role for him and see how he looks, and he looked great in practice. “He did some good stuff, man. He is a natural, and that’s something that we want to try to grow this spring,” Swinney said via Clemson Insider. We talked about maybe trying to transition him there and see if we can kind of rebrand him a little bit. Let’s see what he looks like as a 230-pound back that can fly and got ball skills. We’ll see how that works out for him.”

Randall was the leading rusher for Clemson, as he totaled 44 rushing yards on just four carries. The bulk of that came on a 41-yard run, which sparked the offense a bit. 

As a wide receiver with limited experience at the position, a lot of credit has to go to Randall for stepping up and trying to help his team. 

His debut at the position received some high marks, as Swinney is going to entertain the idea of using him out of the backfield in spring practice.