Like old times at Clemson, Hunter Renfrow and Dabo Swinney were back together again on the football field Monday.<\/p>\n
Clemson\u2019s head coach showed up at Carolina Panthers training camp Monday to see Renfrow, who is now healthy and back in action after one year away from the NFL.<\/p>\n
Of course, Renfrow\u00a0signed<\/a>\u00a0a one-year deal with the Panthers in April after missing all of the 2024 season as he\u00a0dealt with health challenges<\/a>\u00a0stemming from a diagnosis of the autoimmune condition ulcerative colitis.<\/p>\n Swinney spoke with reporters at Panthers training camp and had nothing but positive things to say about Renfrow as the legendary Clemson receiver makes his NFL comeback.<\/p>\n \u201cHe started training a little bit. His training is playing basketball, pickleball, throwing a frisbee, maybe run a few routes,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cSo he started training and he started getting the itch [to play football] a little bit again, and he\u2019s one of them guys, he\u2019s like, \u2018Well, I\u2019m just going to play for the Panthers.\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018Well I don\u2019t know that it\u2019s going to work like that, Hunter. You don\u2019t just get to do that.\u2019 But here he is. Somehow it worked out and he\u2019s here with the Panthers.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he\u2019s having fun. He just feels great. And then he had to go through OTAs and all that, so kind of getting his football legs back under him after a year off. But he\u2019s just a great human being and a great teammate, very selfless guy. Obviously this is a part of the country where people are familiar with him. So, I\u2019m just pulling for him, and he\u2019s having fun. He\u2019s 29, so I\u2019m just happy that he\u2019s back out here, and if he stays healthy, he\u2019ll do what Renfrow does. That\u2019s just who he is. So, it\u2019s exciting, and what a great culture [Panthers] coach [Dave] Canales has really built and you can feel that.\u201d<\/p>\n Renfrow has quickly acclimated himself well with his new team and was impressive when the Panthers opened training camp on July 23, with Renfrow hauling in multiple nice catches, including a diving grab<\/a>. He continued to impress with another diving catch<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n Swinney raved about what Renfrow brings to the table as a wideout and how he goes about his craft.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gets open and he catches it. He makes plays,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cHe understands leverage and influence and route running and break points and how to set things up and how to play with his hands at full speed. He\u2019s got elite change of direction. He plays long. He\u2019s not a very big guy, but he plays like a 6-3 guy. And having coached receivers my entire life \u2013 I\u2019ve been around a lot of 6-3 guys that play 5-9 \u2013 but he\u2019s a little guy that plays really big.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s crafty, and just his ability to separate and change direction, it\u2019s hard to find that. Very explosive, and just a confident guy. Returner. So, he can do a lot of things to help a football team, and that\u2019s all I think he\u2019s looking for is just having a chance to get back going and help the team somehow, someway.\u201d<\/p>\n Renfrow is now embarking on his sixth NFL season, after recording 269 receptions for 2,884 yards and 17 touchdowns across his five seasons with the Raiders from 2019-23.<\/p>\n He was drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round (149th\u00a0overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft following a legendary Clemson career during which he won two national titles while racking up 186 receptions for 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns.<\/p>\n Swinney says Renfrow looks like a normal guy in street clothes, but transforms into \u201cSuperman\u201d when he puts a helmet on.<\/p>\n \u201cI play basketball with him all the time, pickleball \u2013 I play a lot. I\u2019m always competing against Renfrow because when he shows up, we gotta compete,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cBecause he and my oldest son are really close, in each other\u2019s weddings. So, I see him in different settings, and whenever he\u2019s around, we\u2019re competing in something. And you could just start to see that he was working his way back, and so, it\u2019s fun. I knew he had more football in him, and it\u2019s fun to see him happy and just healthy, and he\u2019ll do the rest. I know he doesn\u2019t look the part, but he puts on a helmet on and he turns into Superman.\u201d<\/p>\n Look who is at #Panthers<\/a> camp. #Clemson<\/a> coach Dabo Swinney. He is here for former wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who is making a comeback. Swinney says Renfrow looks like a normal guy in street clothes and then he puts a helmet on and \u2018\u2019becomes Superman.\u2019\u2019 Swinney says he beat\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Ei01YLU9Ce<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 David Newton (@DNewtonespn) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u2013Photo courtesy of Scott Kinser-Imagn Images<\/p>\n