DJ Uiagalelei explains what makes Adam Randall special, compares him to NFL star

True freshman receiver Adam Randall made his Clemson debut Saturday, and no one is more excited about the potential of the Tigers’ new weapon than quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

A four-star recruit and the No. 4 player from the state of South Carolina according to On3 Consensus, Randall missed the first two games of the season after suffering an ACL injury in the spring. But after making a speedy recovery, the 6-foot-3, 217-pound receiver is ready to make an impact in the passing attack.

“He’s a big guy, big receiver,” Uiagalelei said. “He looks almost like DK Metcalf in the sense of he’s really built together like a linebacker. I think the other thing is, he’s super fast. He plays the ball in the air really well. He goes up there and competes for the ball. He’s just a special talent, man. Being able to be that young and do the things that he does, he’s gonna be a special talent for years to come.”

Clemson eased Adam Randall into action Saturday, and he finished the game with one catch for 11 yards on two targets. Fellow true freshman receiver Antonio Williams — also a South Carolina native — caught both of his targets to lead the team with 57 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown catch.

Randall will look to continue to make progress as the Tigers face No. 21 Wake Forest at noon ET on Saturday.

Adam Randall brings big-play potential to Clemson offense

Randall should be able to immediately help Clemson’s offense. The Myrtle Beach native is 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and was clocked as the fastest receiver at a Tigers practice during fall camp.

Randall also made a ton of plays during the spring prior to going down with a torn ACL and established himself as one of the better receivers on the team.

“He brings a lot of big-play potential,” Tigers offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said. “He made plays in the run game and in the pass game, but he made the 1-on-1 plays a lot against some of our best guys on defense. It was very, very exciting and gave the offense confidence. That big-play mentality is the biggest thing [he brings].”

Clemson receivers are hoping to have a bounce-back year after the unit and the Tigers offense as a whole struggled in 2021. Joseph Ngata, EJ Williams, Beaux Collins, Dacari Collins and Brannon Spector return, while fellow freshman Antonio Williams is also expected to play an immediate role.

On3’s Matt Connolly contributed to this report.