If Clemson started the season today, who would take the field first at the running back spot?

Head coach Dabo Swinney was asked that question during his appearance on the Gramlich & Mac Lain podcast with Clemson alums Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain.

Swinney confirmed that senior Adam Randall would be Clemson’s RB1 if the Tigers played today.

“Yeah, today he is,” Swinney said. “Jay Haynes is out right now. He’s still progressing back. We’ll get him back sooner than later. But Adam, this guy, he knows everything. He understands everything. So, just mentally, he’s running out there first.”

Of course, after spending his first three seasons at Clemson as a wide receiver, Randall contributed at running back in last year’s College Football Playoff loss to Texas before making the permanent position switch to running back this year.

Randall came out of the spring atop the depth chart and has only tightened his grip on the starting job ahead of Clemson’s Aug. 30 season opener vs. LSU.

With Haynes still not all the way back from his ACL injury and Jarvis Green suffering an injury that will keep him out for most of the upcoming season, David Eziomume has been taking a lot of the reps behind Randall.

The Tigers also have Keith Adams Jr. and highly touted true freshman Gideon Davidson in their running back room, and while Randall is poised to be the starter right now, Swinney expects multiple backs to see action on a weekly basis this fall.

“Let me tell ya – Easy E (Eziomume) and Gid (Davidson), those guys — I don’t see any situation where we’re gonna have one guy playing,” Swinney said. “We’re gonna have a really good backfield of guys, and three or four guys getting some reps every single week.”

Swinney added that Eziomume, Davidson, Adams and Randall are “all different, but Adam really brings the leadership and just the confidence.”

“The game’s not too fast for him. He really checks all the boxes. So, that’s been a good thing, and especially for those other guys,” Swinney said of Randall.

“But it’s going to be a good room. I don’t think it’s just going to be a good guy – I think it’s going to be a really good room, and all those guys, I think, will have an opportunity to shine.”