OVERVIEW
The former prep quarterback is a product of the school's long history for recruiting athletes and converting them to skill positions, particularly for their receiving unit. Their featured target for their aerial game as a junior, Randle capitalized on a banner 2011 campaign to elevate his draft stock into early round status.
Randle was one of the most sought after players in the country in 2008, playing for Louisiana powerhouse Bastrop High School, where he starred as the Rams' quarterback. He also saw action at both receiver positions, in addition to handling punt and kickoff return duties. The team went undefeated during his sophomore and junior seasons (matching 15-0 records), ranking second in the state in both 2006-07.
He guided the Rams to an 11-2 finish and a tenth-place ranking in the state as a senior. In his three seasons as a starter, Bastrop posted a 41-2 record. Randle was a consensus five-star prospect by all major recruiting services, as he was rated as the ninth-best overall prospect and top wide receiver in the nation by Super Prep. He was also rated as the sixth-best prospect in the country by The Sporting News.
Rivals.com and ESPN both regarded Randle as the best receiver in the prep ranks, and Rivals, along with Super Prep, rated the Rams prospect as the best player in the state of Louisiana. On the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120, he was ranked as that squad's top player.
As a sophomore, Randle was utilized mostly as a receiver, catching fourteen passes for 433 yards and seven touchdowns on a team that won the 2006 Class 4A state champion-ship. He earned Class 4A All-State and All-District II honors during his junior season, as he caught 55 passes for 1,058 yards and eleven touchdowns, helping Bastrop to its second consecutive Class 4A state title. He also returned twelve punts for 247 yards (20.58 avg) and two scores while completing 7-of-8 passes for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Randle earned Parade All-America honors as well as being a first-team All-USA selection by USA Today as a senior in 2008, as he took over quarterback duties. The All-State choice was also named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, the New Orleans Times Picayune Blue-Chip List and the Baton Rouge Advocate Super Dozen squads.
That season, Randle threw for 2,442 yards and 20 touchdowns on 166-of-274 attempts (60.6%) with just nine interceptions. He rushed for 680 yards and 12 scores on 101 carries (6.73 ypc), in addition to catching two passes, including a 16-yard touchdown. He scored 104 points on fourteen touchdowns and twenty conversions, chipping in with 99 yards on nine punt returns, as he led his team to an 11-2 record and the top seed in the state play-offs before losing in the semifinals in 2008.
Recruited by the Louisiana State Tigers as an "athlete," Randle saw action in 13 games as a true freshman. Part of the team's multiple receiver formation, he started four contests at one of the slot positions, finishing fourth on the team with eleven receptions for 173 yards (15.73 ypc) and a pair of touchdowns.
Randle shifted to the flanker position as a sophomore, starting nine of thirteen games. He finished second on the squad with 33 catches, good for 544 yards (16.48 ypc) and three scores. In brief action on special teams, he posted two solo tackles and had two punt returns for 10 yards.
Though Randle was limited by sticky coverage from Alabama's 'Dre Kirkpatrick through-out much of the team's two battles in 2011 (combined five catches for 32 yards), ironically enough it was Randle's a three-catch, 125-yard effort vs. the Tide in 2010 that served as his "breakout game." Randle scored a 75-yard touchdown in that contest, the longest of his career.
As a junior, Randle received All-Southeastern Conference first-team honors from the league's coaches. Starting eleven times at split end, he hauled in a team-high 53 passes for 917 yards, as his average of 17.4 yards per reception tied for fourth on the school season-record list. Eight of his grabs resulted in touchdowns. His four 100-yard receiving performances were the most by a Tigers receiver since Mark Clayton in 2003.
After the BCS Championship loss to Alabama, Randle announced that he was leaving the university and had entered the 2012 NFL Draft process. Rivals.com analyst Barry Every stated, "Randle is an athlete that is a cross between A. J. Green and Julio Jones. He should have a similar impact at the next level." The receiver joined teammates Morris Claiborne and Michael Brockers as early draft entrants. The news of the junior receiver's departure was first reported by TigerSportsDigest.com, which claimed that Randle's decision was made over a family dinner.
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