Latest news with #HunterRenfrow
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hunter Renfrow Signs with Panthers—and This Bizarre NFL Pattern Points to a Super Bowl Run
Hunter Renfrow Signs with Panthers—and This Bizarre NFL Pattern Points to a Super Bowl Run originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When former Clemson Tigers star Hunter Renfrow signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, it was already a compelling storyline. But now, according to the crew over at Pardon My Take, Renfrow might be walking straight into a Super Bowl destiny. Advertisement During a recent episode of the popular Barstool Sports podcast, hosts Big Cat and PFT Commenter dove into a bizarre—and oddly convincing—statistical pattern that suggests Carolina is on a crash course for the biggest game in football. It's the kind of thing that sounds too weird to be true, but when laid out, it becomes almost eerie. The theory originally came from a Panthers-focused podcast—likely the 'OVs and Giglo' show, as PFT jokingly mispronounced it. It starts with Ohio State winning the national championship in college football. That has happened in three key years: 2002, 2014, and 2024. Each time, a strange NFL pattern has followed involving the Panthers. Here's the sequence: 2002: Ohio State wins the national title. The Panthers finish with a losing record. The following year (2003), they open the NFL season against the Jaguars and go to the Super Bowl. 2014: Ohio State wins again. The Panthers finish with a losing record. The next season (2015), they open against Jacksonville—and again go to the Super Bowl. 2024: Ohio State just won the national championship. The Panthers had a losing season. And in 2025, they open the year… against the Jaguars. Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.© Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Coincidence? The Pardon My Take guys don't think so. And it doesn't stop there. Advertisement PFT Commenter added another wrinkle—Jennifer Lopez's divorces. In each of those same years, filed for divorce: from Cris Judd in 2002, from Marc Anthony in 2014, and now in 2024, from Ben Affleck. If you're a Panthers fan, this is the kind of cosmic alignment that screams team of destiny. The joke may have started with a DM labeled the 'Tarek Skubal envelope' (a callback to a past sports prediction), but the trend is real enough to have fans placing futures bets. Now add Renfrow to the mix—a reliable slot receiver known for clutch catches and playoff moments—and suddenly, this feels less like internet nonsense and more like a prophecy in the making. He's already shown he can deliver in big moments. If the pattern holds, Renfrow may soon be doing it on the biggest stage of them all. Advertisement Related: Hunter Renfrow Making 'Huge Strides' in Panthers Camp After Health Battle Related: Larry Fitzgerald's Son Announces Major Offer From Top College Football Program This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Panthers HC Dave Canales says WR Hunter Renfrow is making 'huge strides'
Panthers HC Dave Canales says WR Hunter Renfrow is making 'huge strides' Carolina Panthers wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is continuing to knock off the rust. The former Pro Bowl pass catcher took the next step towards his comeback on Tuesday, as the Panthers held their first session of organized team activities. Head coach Dave Canales was asked about Renfrow, who hasn't played in the NFL since 2023. "You see weekly, he just makes these huge strides, just getting his feet under him," Canales replied. "And I can tell too, just having coached wide receivers especially, but he's got a lot in his game. Releases, top-of-the-route setup, avoidance, different things where he can double up stuff at the top of his routes. "And you can see him kinda working through his inventory, kinda his tool bag—if you will. And it's been really cool just to watch him, as his feet get underneath him and the explosiveness and all the little things show up, it's been really fun to see." Renfrow missed the 2024 campaign due to his battle with ulcerative colitis. His last down came on Jan. 7, 2024—in the Las Vegas Raiders' 27-14 win over the Denver Broncos. He agreed to terms on a deal with the Panthers back on April 27. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Panthers OTAs: Hunter Renfrow, Tetairoa McMillan and more to watch
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dave Canales and his staff had their first look at the team's rookies during a two-day minicamp earlier this month. Following the holiday weekend, they'll get the whole gang together. The Carolina Panthers' offseason program ramps up to something more closely resembling real football Tuesday with the first of six scheduled OTA practices over the next two weeks. Those will be followed by a three-day mandatory minicamp from June 10-12. Advertisement The NFL allows for up to 10 OTA practices, but the Panthers are among 15 teams slated to use only six. As with the rookie camp, no live contact is allowed in the OTA or minicamp practices. But teams can stage 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, so it's at least a start. One OTA practice each week and the entire minicamp is open to the media. Here's what I'll be watching: A year ago, we were just beginning to document the Diontae Johnson experiment, which didn't make it to Halloween. Johnson has been on three different teams since then, including two stints with the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, the Panthers bolstered their receiving corps by drafting Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth pick, adding former Colorado receiver Jimmy Horn in the sixth round and taking a flier on Hunter Renfrow, the former Clemson and Raiders receiver who was out of the league last year while dealing with ulcerative colitis. McMillan figures to get the majority of his work at the X, with Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette lining up at the slot and the Z, respectively. But it will be interesting to see how the reps shake out among the receivers a little farther down the depth chart, a group that includes Jalen Coker, Renfrow, Horn and David Moore, who was re-signed to a one-year deal after a career resurgence last season. Something else to track: Bryce Young's touch passes to the 6-foot-4 McMillan, whose ability to high-point balls and get open on scramble plays should mesh well with Young's skills in both of those areas. Jadeveon Clowney's release leaves the Panthers with only a couple of proven edge rushers in D.J. Wonnum and free-agent acquisition Patrick Jones, a situational pass rusher in Minnesota who finished with a career-high seven sacks last year. But that was part of the point in moving on from Clowney: To open up playing opportunities for young players like second-round pick Nic Scourton and third-rounder Princely Umanmielen. Advertisement Besides their SEC backgrounds, the two outside linebackers don't have much in common regarding their pass-rush arsenal. Umanmielen is a speed rusher with a good bend, while Scourton relied on a power repertoire and, at times, nearly ate his way into an interior position in college. Neither lacks confidence. Besides a 'nasty demeanor' and natural leadership skills, Scourton pointed to his competitiveness when asked what sets him apart. 'I'm not coming just to say I made it to the NFL,' he said. 'I think I can add a lot to the defense, just by being myself, coming in and working hard, getting around the vets and just getting better.' And Umanmielen believes he's more than just a one-trick pass rusher. 'I didn't really have to use power against offensive tackles. I was winning with my moves, so there was no reason to convert to power,' he said. 'There were times where I go power and it does show up on film a lot. I squat 700 pounds, so I know I have a lot of power.' When Brown spoke with reporters in April, the Pro Bowl defensive end indicated his goal was Week 1 — not OTA practices in May — in terms of a timeline in returning from knee surgery. There's no reason for the Panthers to be in a rush with Brown, whose loss was felt across the whole defense after he tore his meniscus in the season opener against the New Orleans Saints. 'We're just kind of week to week, just seeing where he's at with his confidence level, conditioning level and all that,' Canales said of Brown. 'We'll kind of just play that by ear.' Brown said last month he's following the doctors' and trainers' orders. 'No rush, just trying to get back,' he said. 'I would like to be able to be there when the team gets ready to play in September.' Second-year linebacker Trevin Wallace is farther along in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery and is expected to participate in OTAs and the mandatory minicamp. Wallace, last year's third-round pick from Kentucky, started eight games as a rookie after Shaq Thompson was injured. Wallace totaled 64 tackles. The starting secondary looks to be set after the Panthers re-signed cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson and overhauled their safety room, where former Raider Tre'von Moehrig and fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom are replacing Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller. Veteran Nick Scott and second-year Demani Richardson are the backups at safety, while Chau Smith-Wade returns at nickel. But the rest of the depth chart looks a little shaky. The Panthers kept cornerback Shemar Bartholomew around all last season after claiming him from the New York Jets in August, so they see something they like in the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder. Advertisement The Panthers also have two other waiver claims at corner: Akayleb Evans, whom they acquired off waivers from Minnesota last year, and recent addition MJ Devonshire, who spent all of 2024 on the Raiders' practice squad. Devonshire was a ballhawk and playmaker at Pittsburgh, intercepting eight passes (and returning three for touchdowns) over his final three college seasons. One of the storylines during OTAs last year was the absence of kicker Eddy Pineiro, who remained in Florida while looking for a contract extension that never came. After opting not to re-sign Pineiro, the Panthers brought in undrafted free agent Ryan Fitzgerald to compete with journeyman Matthew Wright. Previous kicking battles didn't begin in earnest until training camp, but Canales is eager to get going on finding a successor to Pineiro, No. 3 on the NFL's all-time field goal percentage list but with questionable leg strength. 'We'll start kicking now,' Canales said recently. Fitzgerald should be considered the favorite. The south Georgia native made all of his kicks during his final season at Florida State, including a 5-for-5 mark on field goals of 50-plus. He appears ready for the challenge. 'I think at this level, every year regardless of the team, it's gonna be a competition. I love that. I'm a competitor,' Fitzgerald told The Athletic during rookie camp. 'But the key to that is just focus on myself. It's me versus the uprights, not me versus another guy. I'm sure that's the same for Matt's mindset as well. Just excited to get to work with the guys.'
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson fan favorite Hunter Renfrow gets official jersey number from Carolina Panthers
Clemson fan favorite Hunter Renfrow gets official jersey number from Carolina Panthers Clemson football standout Hunter Renfrow is back in the NFL -- and with a jersey number that should thrill Tiger fans. On Friday, the Carolina Panthers assigned jersey numbers to first-year members of the team, as well as a few returning players. Renfrow will wear the number he's always worn: lucky No. 13. The Panthers and Renfrow agreed to a one-year deal back on April 27. Renfrow sat out one season in 2024 while recovering from health issues. In a feature by Darin Gantt of Renfrow revealed that he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 'It kicked my butt pretty good,' Renfrow said. 'Last year, I fluctuated in weight; I went down to 150 pounds. I had like seven straight days of 103-degree fevers. It's tough to play when you're not feeling great." In five NFL seasons, all with the Raiders, Renfrow native caught 269 passes for 2,884 yards and 17 touchdowns over 73 games. The Myrtle Beach native, who spent four years at Clemson from 2015-18, earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2021. Renfrow was a fifth-round draft pick (No. 149 overall) by the Raiders in 2019. In his four seasons with the Tigers, he won two national championships under coach Dabo Swinney. Renfrow's catch with 1 second remaining lifted Clemson to a thrilling 35-31 victory over Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 9, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Tigers won their first national championship since 1981, with Renfrow hauling in 10 catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers dethroned Alabama two years later in the 2019 College Football Playoff Championship at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Renfrow was a member of that team, too, making 49 catches for 544 yards while starting all 15 games that season. The Tigers throttled the Crimson Tide 44-16 to cap an undefeated 15-0 season. Renfrow ended his Clemson career with 186 catches for 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns, including the back-breaker that secured Tigers' first national championship in 35 years. The NFL this week unveiled its full 2025 schedule for all 32 teams. The Panthers will open the regular season against Renfrow's teammate and quarterback during his senior season: Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kickoff was announced for 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 7 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The game will be televised on Fox. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers' Hunter Renfrow Gets Candid About Struggling Seasons With Raiders
It's been a long few seasons leading to his return to the NFL for wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. The wide receiver, drafted out of Clemson after winning the national championship with the Tigers in 2018, has undergone one of the most inspiring comebacks in recent memory. Advertisement His breakout season in 2021 with the Las Vegas Raiders included 103 receptions, 1,038 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. After signing a two-year, $32 million extension with the Raiders in 2022, Renfrow began to struggle the following season. A concussion caused Renfrow to miss seven games in 2022, and he never quite regained the same success with the Raiders. While continuing to struggle and not finding very much playing time in 2023, Las Vegas decided to cut the now 29-year-old because of his declining performance and to save some money for free agency. He would then go under the radar, sitting out the entire 2024 season due to a medical condition, ulcerative colitis. Advertisement The condition led to the receiver losing a lot of weight, extreme fatigue and high fevers. "Last year, I fluctuated in weight; I went down to 150 pounds. I had like seven straight days of 103-degree fevers. It's tough to play when you're not feeling great," Renfrow said when he went public on why he missed the 2024 season. He talked about his struggles with the Raiders after his underperforming seasons as well. "I felt so bad those two years, and I felt like I let my teammates down so much. I was like, 'Man, I don't feel well, but I do not want to play football again. Like, I do not want to let people down," he mentioned, according to MLFootball on X. The veteran receiver would later sign with the Carolina Panthers after the 2025 NFL Draft and his story has begun to go viral. Advertisement It seems as if Hunter Renfrow is back in football shape and ready to take on a new chapter with the Panthers. Related: Former NFL GM Sends Clear Message to Falcons About Kirk Cousins' Future Related: 49ers GM Makes George Kittle Statement After Major Decision
