Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has had a lot of great players come through his program. But of all the great players to come to Clemson during his time at the program, Swinney perhaps hasn’t done more for any player than former star wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
Renfrow has an incredible story, walking onto the Clemson program in 2015 and carving out a role in Swinney’s offense and ultimately going on to play in the NFL, where he would reach a Pro Bowl in 2021.
Renfrow missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to receiving a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, which caused him to lose a significant amount of weight and experience fatigue. And initially, Renfrow was planning on potentially calling it a career after five years in the NFL.
However, according to Renfrow, Swinney actually convinced him to give it another shot in 2025, signing with the Carolina Panthers this offseason.
“He said, ‘Why would you not [play]? You have the opportunity of a lifetime,” Renfrow told ESPN, recalling Swinney’s pep talk to him. “That’s part of what makes him special. Pushing to get the best out of people, just believing in you even when you don’t believe in yourself.”
It’s great to see Swinney remain so active in his former player’s career, a trend that continued on Monday when he visited Renfrow at Panthers training camp on Monday.
Head Coach @ClemsonFB Dabo Swinney sharing some laughs and a little coaching with his former national champion wide receiver Hunter Renfrow who’s now in his first year with the @Panthers . pic.twitter.com/QYssocYRss
— Carmine Gemei (@CarmineGemei) July 28, 2025
Only time will tell how productive Renfrow is on his new team. But regardless, Renfrow will seemingly at least get a chance to compete and make the Panthers roster, which is all thanks to Swinney.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.