Quick Facts
Sagittarius
Biography
James Hunter Renfrow (born December 21, 1995) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Clemson where he won two national championships. He was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Early years
Renfrow attended Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where his father, Tim, was the football coach. He played quarterback for Socastee's football team and was rated by Rivals.com as a two-star recruit. He received offers from Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, and Wofford, where his father played.
College career
Despite receiving scholarship offers to play football and baseball at schools in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Renfrow enrolled at Clemson University, and walked on to the Clemson Tigers football team. He was 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and weighed only 155 pounds (70 kg). He took a redshirt in 2014. By 2015, when he had increased to 176 pounds (80 kg), he received a scholarship. Renfrow played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015, making ten starts, and recording 492 yards and five touchdowns. He caught two touchdown passes in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. In 2016, Renfrow played in just nine games as a sophomore due to injury. He recorded 353 yards and caught four touchdown passes. In the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide, he caught the game-winning touchdownfrom quarterback Deshaun Watson with one second remaining in the game.
In 2018, Renfrow won the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the best college player who began his career as a walk-on. In his final collegiate season in 2018, his receiving total declined slightly, as he recorded 49 receptions for 544 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. However, he would help Clemson win its second national championship in three years.
College statistics
| Clemson Tigers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | |
| 2015 | 13 | 33 | 492 | 14.9 | 5 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 44 | 495 | 11.3 | 6 | |
| 2017 | 14 | 60 | 602 | 10.0 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 15 | 49 | 544 | 11.1 | 1 | |
| Career | 53 | 186 | 2,133 | 11.5 | 15 | |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10+1⁄4 in (1.78 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 29+1⁄8 in (0.74 m) | 7+7⁄8 in (0.20 m) | 4.59 s | 1.64 s | 2.69 s | 4.19 s | 6.80 s | 35.0 in (0.89 m) | 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) | 7 reps | |
| All values from 2019 NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
2019
Renfrow was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the 149th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the 17th of 28 wide receivers, one of three Clemson players taken by the Raiders, and the only offensive player drafted from the National Championship team.
Renfrow was listed as a starting wide receiver on the Raiders' depth chart since the first release. Renfrow made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, with two catches for 13 yards in the 24–16 win. In Week 8 against the Houston Texans, Renfrow caught four passes for 88 yards including a 65-yard touchdown reception, the first of his career in the 27–24 loss. In Week 12 against the New York Jets, Renfrow caught three passes for 31 yards before exiting the game due to a rib injury in the third quarter.After the game, Raiders' head coach Jon Gruden said that Renfrow broke a rib and punctured a lung which could force him to miss the rest of the season. Renfrow returned from injury in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers.During the game, Renfrow caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown during the 24–17 win. In the following week's game against the Broncos, Renfrow caught six passes for 102 yards and a touchdown during the 16-15 loss. Overall, Renfrow finished the 2019 season with 49 receptions for 605 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
2020
Renfrow was fined US$15,000 by the NFL on October 5, 2020, for attending a maskless charity event hosted by teammate Darren Waller during the COVID-19 pandemic in violation of the NFL's COVID-19 protocols for the 2020 season. In 2020, Renfrow played in 16 games, started 6, and caught 56 passes for 656 yards, as well as scoring two touchdowns.
2021
In Week 12, Renfrow had 8 receptions for 134 yards in a 36–33 win over the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 13, Renfrow had 9 receptions for 102 yards in a 17–15 loss against the Washington Football Team. In Week 14, Renfrow had 13 receptions for 117 yards and a 4-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr in a 9–48 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, Renfrow finished the 2021 regular season setting a career high in receptions (103), receiving yards (1,038) and receiving touchdowns (9). He was named as a Pro Bowler.
Renfrow made his playoff debut in the Wild Card Round against the Cincinnati Bengals, catching eight passes for 58 yards in the 26–19 loss.
2022
On June 10, 2022, Renfrow signed a two-year, $32 million contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders. In Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, Renfrow had seven catches for 59 yards, but fumbled twice with one recovered and returned for a touchdown by Byron Murphy in overtime in the 23-29 loss. Renfrow also suffered a concussion after being hit by Isaiah Simmons during the play that caused the fumble. He was placed on injured reserve on November 10, 2022, and activated on December 17. He finished the 2022 season with 36 receptions for 330 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in ten games.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2019 | OAK | 13 | 4 | 49 | 605 | 12.3 | 65 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | LV | 16 | 6 | 56 | 656 | 11.7 | 53 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 |
| 2021 | LV | 17 | 9 | 103 | 1,038 | 10.1 | 54 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 2022 | LV | 10 | 1 | 36 | 330 | 9.2 | 27 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 1 |
| 2023 | LV | 17 | 3 | 25 | 255 | 10.2 | 38 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 73 | 23 | 269 | 2,884 | 10.7 | 65 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 4 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2021 | LV | 1 | 0 | 8 | 58 | 7.3 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 8 | 58 | 7.3 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Personal life
Renfrow is one of six children. His mother, Suzanne, and brother, Jordan, both graduated from Clemson. Renfrow's father, Tim Renfrow, is one of eleven children.
Renfrow married his high school sweetheart, Camilla, on April 13, 2019, in DeBordieu, South Carolina. They have one daughter together.
Renfrow is a Christian. Renfrow has said “We’re trying to win every game but at the end of the day, that's ultimately what matters, what your relationship is with Christ. Whenever football is long and gone and 100 years from now, [God will] still be there and that's kind of driven me.”
