There are 13 days left until the start of the Carolina Panthers 2025 schedule, so today’s countdown piece is about number 13 in your program, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
Before the Panthers
The Panthers new wide receiver has long ties to the Carolinas. He played his high school ball in Myrtle Beach and then walked on to Clemson’s football team in 2014 and redshirted that season. Over the following four seasons with the Tigers he produced 186 receptions for 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns. He will forever
be beloved by Clemson fans after scoring the game-winning touchdown to win the national championship against Alabama with one second left in the game.
He was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Raiders.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver then had a solid five-year run with the silver and black. He had 605 receiving yards his rookie year and 656 yards in his second NFL season. In 2021 he had a breakout campaign with 103 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl that year.
His 2022 season was limited to 10 games due to a concussion and he registered 330 receiving yards that year. In 2023 he appeared in all 17 games, starting three, but only produced 25 receptions for 255 yards.
Renfrow’s life was turned upside down in 2024 when he battled ulcerative colitis, dropping from 185 pounds to just 150 pounds. He, understandably, did not play football last season as he focused on regaining his health.
Renfrow’s role with the Panthers
With his health in a better place, the 29-year-old veteran has returned home to the Carolinas after joining the Panthers this past offseason on a one-year, $1.2 million contract. He is currently showing up as a reserve wide receiver on Carolina’s unofficial depth chart.
Renfrow’s spot on the team isn’t set in stone. While reports have emerged that he “turned heads” in camp with his ability to get separation and by making some diving catches, he still has a lot to prove that he is ready to return to the NFL. Given his background and experience, he could add a lot of veteran perspective to a wide receivers room that’s still full of young players like Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and rookie Tetairoa McMillan.
While Panthers fans shouldn’t be expecting Hunter Renfrow to return to his previous Pro Bowl form after a dealing with his health issues last year, the team signed him for a reason. He’s a low-risk, high-reward veteran, and I’m pulling for him to make a strong comeback given the obstacles he’s had to overcome.
