ALBUQUERQUE — Every now and then, Jerrard Randall has a vision.
In it, he’s split out wide, feet set, one defender — a cornerback — in front of him.
When the quarterback hikes the ball, Randall will be off, and with his 4.3-second 40-yard dash speed, he’ll zoom past the corner.
“He’s really gonna have to put his jets on when I’m running down the field,” Randall said.
In an alternate universe, this is Jerrard Randall, the wide receiver.
As a recruit, Randall wanted to be a quarterback. Many teams that recruited him wanted him to come in with the “athlete” distinction, which could’ve led him down many paths, including at receiver, running back or even cornerback.
But he wanted to be the man. He verbally committed to Oregon as a quarterback, but things didn’t work out. Randall then committed to LSU after coach Les Miles called him every day for two weeks.
So Randall walked out to practice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, behind Zach Mettenberger and Jordan Jefferson on the quarterback depth chart, even then wondering what life would be like as a wideout. It’s easy to say that now, though — especially given his competition at the position.
“I mean, five years ago I wish I was playing” receiver, Randall said. “But shoot, I had guys like Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, so me playing was very, very unlikely.”
That’s Beckham, the now-star for the New York Giants, and Landry, a standout for the Miami Dolphins.
Randall was a five-star recruit, but hurt his shoulder soon after going to LSU, and has since had two surgeries. He said he “kinda lost touch throwing the ball” when he tore his shoulder. “It was never the same.”
The redshirt senior has been stellar at times for Arizona this season, rushing for 702 yards and five touchdowns and passing for 518 yards and five scores.
Still, Randall never quite became the five-star prospect he was pegged to be. So now he can say “what if?”
What if he had played receiver the whole time?
It’s the past that never happened, but it might just be his future — Randall will play some wide receiver in Saturday’s New Mexico Bowl against the Lobos.
“Practice stops when Jerrard’s playing wide receiver,” receiver Cayleb Jones said. “Everybody watches. Whether it’s one-on-ones, or route-running … he catches the ball pretty naturally.”
Randall played a little wide receiver against NAU in September, but with injuries to Anu Solomon, the Wildcats have needed him more at quarterback this season. Randall started under center against Stanford and Arizona State and struggled, completing just 46.3 percent of his passes for 213 yards and one touchdown in two losses.
“I should’ve taken full advantage of starting,” Randall said. “But fatigue, man. I was so scared of fatigue, I didn’t know if I should run fast on this play and then be done? So then I’m kinda tired and can’t get to the next play.
“But fatigue was the biggest factor in my starting and not being prepared for it.”
UA coach Rich Rodriguez has said on multiple occasions that he wishes he could’ve had more time with Randall to help him develop as a quarterback.
But Randall doesn’t think like that.
“I feel like my time is up,” Randall said. “I did my five years. I’ve been in college a little too long.”
So what’s the next step?
Randall is still hoping for a shot at the NFL.
With the feedback he’s received, he knows his future is no longer at quarterback. It might be at running back or on kick returns, but more likely than not, with his size — he’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds — and speed, his best shot is at wide receiver.
At Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2013, he started at wide receiver one game out of necessity, finishing with five catches for 128 yards and a score.
“He’s such an exceptional athlete that I think people underestimate how fast he really is,” said Greg Davis, the coach at NMCC. “Jerrard could probably play receiver and be one of the best receivers out there.”
Added Rodriguez, “I think (the NFL) will look at him as a receiver. … He’s got good ball skills, he’s a tough guy, he can run, and I think somebody will give him a shot somewhere.”
It was a long and winding path to Saturday’s New Mexico Bowl for Randall. Two years as a quarterback at LSU, one at NMCC and another two at Arizona.
Now he’ll play in the New Mexico Bowl, then return to Florida — his home state — to prepare for the NFL draft.
Jerrard Randall, the quarterback, will be a thing of the past.
“I’m satisfied,” he said. “If I get to the next level and I get my shot, I’m going to take full advantage of it.
“I’m an athlete, and I can basically do it all.”
