Hunter Renfroe attended Mississippi State, just a couple hours from where he was born and raised. A particular fandom courses through the Padres right fielder’s blood. Naturally, he said, he felt some disappointment Monday when Clemson upset Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship.

“I’m an SEC guy,” Renfroe said by phone Tuesday, “so it’s hard to see your (conference’s) team fall.”

Yet the game’s winning play — a two-yard touchdown pass, with one second left, to a 5-foot-11 slot receiver — brought a sense of joy. After all, Renfroe and 5-foot-11 slot receiver Hunter Renfrow have something in common.

“I had to root for my guy,” Renfroe said. “I had to root for Clemson.”


A phonetically fitting friendship sprouted a year ago. In the 2016 title game, also against Alabama, Clemson lost, 45-40. Amid defeat, Renfrow finished with seven catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Just like that, the then-redshirt freshman and former walk-on became a name of national interest. The Twitter mentions, many misdirected, ensued.

“Last year, when he was doing well and Clemson was doing well, I was getting a few tweets about it,” Renfroe recalled. “I was, like, ‘What the heck is going on?’ I looked up his name and saw what he was all about.”

On Jan. 18, Renfroe reached out.

@Hunter_Renfroe: @renfrowhunter you can imagine the confusion during the national championship!


Three minutes later, Renfrow responded.

@renfrowhunter: @Hunter_Renfroe It will only get worse when you’re in the World Series in a few years

@Hunter_Renfroe It will only get worse when you're in the World Series in a few years — Hunter Renfrow (@renfrowhunter) January 18, 2016

The two began trading direct messages on Twitter. Renfroe learned that Renfrow also had been a two-sport standout; besides starring as a triple-option quarterback for Socastee High in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Renfrow roamed center field for the baseball team. A few years earlier, Renfroe had played both quarterback and safety for Copiah Academy in Gallman, Miss.


“We’ve actually gotten to be pretty close,” Renfroe said.

Both Hunters received offers from smaller schools to play two sports. Turned out, they chose well. Renfroe broke out as a junior at Mississippi State, and the Padres drafted him 13th overall in 2013. Renfrow secured a preferred walk-on slot with Clemson the same year. Before the 2015 season, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney awarded him a scholarship.

As Renfroe ascended through the minors, Renfrow noticed he was occasionally being mistaken for a high draft pick on social media. Sometime during Renfrow’s college football debut in 2015, the pendulum swung the other way. Monday’s showing — in Clemson’s 35-31 victory, Renfrow again burned Alabama’s secondary, this time for 92 yards and two more touchdowns — did not lessen the confusion.

“I think it’s just always funny, people thinking we’re the same guy,” said Renfroe, who checked Twitter on Tuesday morning and saw “it was blowing up.” “I’m going to spring training here in 30 days. And they think I’m up there playing for Clemson, catching touchdown passes and winning national championships.”


Renfroe, of course, has earned some of his own clout. On Sept. 27, he homered twice in just his fourth major league start. The next day, he launched the first-ever home run to reach the roof of Petco Park’s Western Metal building.

Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe hits an eighth-inning grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. (Jake Roth/USA Today Sports )

Having tantalized fans with a brief fall appetizer, Renfroe will enter this season as a potential cornerstone in right field. Compared to Clemson, the rebuilding Padres are on the opposite end of the competitive spectrum, but that hasn’t discouraged Renfroe in setting goals.

“I want to establish myself as a major league player, and after that obviously Rookie of the Year is something that would be very special to me personally,” Renfroe said. “Obviously, I would love to start off with a winning season in San Diego. It’s been awhile since we’ve had that, but I think we have a very strong group of young guys.”


Perhaps the Padres will have a little Hunter Renfrow in them.

“I think the best way to be is the underdog,” Renfroe said, citing his friend as an example. “He came in as a walk-on, and he just caught the game-winning pass in the national championship game.”

The two Hunters have yet to meet in person, though Renfrow did invite Renfroe to attend a game at Clemson. Renfroe, who’s had a busy offseason traveling to weddings and preparing for spring training, hopes to take him up on the offer eventually. Renfrow surely would be welcome at Petco Park.

“He better be rooting me on,” Renfroe said with a laugh. “He better be a Padres fan now. I think it’s all great, the Twitter world. You get fans from all over.”


In the meantime, the mentions will continue pouring in, much to Renfroe’s amusement.

“It’s kind of cool,” Renfroe said. “I think it’s a good publicity deal for both of us.”