CLEMSON — Hard work and sticking with it has paid for former Clemson running back Adam Randall.
The former wide receiver turned running back saw his dream come true Saturday when he was selected No. 174 overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Randall’s selection makes him the ninth former Tiger taken in the draft, joining offensive tackle Blake Miller (No. 17, first round), Peter Woods (No. 29, first round), T.J. Parker (No. 35, second round) and Avieon Terrell (No. 48, second round), wide receiver Antonio Williams (No. 71, third round), quarterback Cade Klubnik (No. 110, fourth round), linebacker Wade Woodaz (123, fourth round) and defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart (No. 155, fifth round).
With Randall’s selection, Clemson tied its all-time record for most picks in a seven-round draft with nine, which was set in 2016. Clemson’s single-draft record is 10 selections, set in a 12-round draft in 1983.
Clemson’s nine selections in the 2026 NFL Draft through five rounds is the most in the first five rounds for Clemson in an NFL Draft, no matter the era.
Randall earned the “positionless player” narrative after starting as both a wide receiver and running back across a four-year career with the Tigers. Last season, as the primary tailback for Clemson, Randall recorded 814 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He also recorded 254 receiving yards, the most of his career, and caught three touchdowns from veteran quarterback (and former roommate) Cade Klubnik.
Despite battling injuries including a torn ACL and a broken hand, Randall wrapped up his Clemson career with 787 receiving yards, 858 rushing yards, and 15 total touchdowns, becoming a permanent team captain.
“I just felt like after this season and seeing the things I needed to work on, I just needed to watch film, evaluate myself, and get better in the things that I felt like I was deficient in and enhance the things I felt like I was really good at,” he said to The Clemson Insider before the draft. “Some of my deficiencies now, like my pad level, pass pro, stuff like that, so just continuing to see what I can get better at in my game and attack that each and every offseason.”
Randall’s dedication paid off at the NFL Combine on March 2 in Indianapolis, at which he ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash, the eighth highest amongst his position group. Two weeks later, at Clemson’s Pro Day, he recorded a 4.28-second shuttle run, which would have been the quickest at the Combine.
