Former Clemson Star Building Bond with New NFL Teammate Despite College Rivalry

College rivalries can run very deep, but that's not stopping these two NFL teammates from building a connection both on and off the field.

Sep 17, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Former Clemson Tigers' wide receiver and national championship game hero Hunter Renfrow recently made headlines by signing with the Carolina Panthers after a short hiatus from the NFL.

The deal was announced this past Sunday, and came a little over year after the former Las Vegas Raider was released last March. Renfrow would ultimately decide to sit out the entire 2024 season while he focused on recovering from the effects of ulcerative colitis.

Now back in playing shape, the former Clemson legend has landed just two hours away from his former home in Death Valley.

His signing adds further depth to a Panthers' receiving corps that is largely comprised of talented, but inexperienced players. Among this group is 2024 first round draft choice Xavier Legette, who spent his college days playing for the Tigers' hated in-state rivals the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Legette and Renfrow obviously never crossed paths in college, but the type of hatred the Clemson and the Gamecocks have for one another is something that extends far beyond the time a player spends at each respective program.

All that being said, Legette made it clear that he has no bad blood towards his new teammate, even if he played for the biggest rival South Carolina has on the gridiron. In fact, he's already started building some chemistry both on and off the field with Renfrow, he told Kay Adams in a recent interview.

Despite their South Carolina vs Clemson rivalry, Xavier Legette and Hunter Renfrow are building a strong chemistry on the Panthers
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"It ain't no bad blood with him."@heykayadams | @XavierLegette | @renfrowhunter pic.twitter.com/DTvoxJWx8f

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 2, 2025

Per Legette, he and Renfrow have already begun to strike up a friendship in the locker room. The two grew up fairly close to one another, so there was already a ton of built in similarities for the two to talk about.

It will be interesting to see how the veteran Renfrow takes both Legette, and the rest of Carolina's young receivers under his wing in the new season. The 2021 Pro Bowl selection has been very productive across his first five seasons at the NFL level. He has racked up 2,884 yards and 17 touchdowns over that span, so he certainly has a wealth of experience to rely on.

It may take a bit of time for him to get back in the swing of playing on Sundays again, but that doesn't mean he can't impart some wisdom on his younger position group members in the meantime. He'll also have plenty of time to chop it up with Legette between practices and meetings as well.