Wireless communication devices, systems, and methods related to mechanisms to implement improved RAR decoding performance and resource utilization efficiency in a RACH procedure. A PDCCH with common search space encodes a DCI with configuration information that schedules separate PDSCHs for different UEs/UE groups. When sending a RAR message, the PDCCH includes a DCI with a configuration field to signal multiple DMRS resources with corresponding PDSCH. Each sub-field of the configuration field may include one or multiple bits. When one bit per sub-field, the bit is a flag that when asserted leads the UE to blind decode the PDSCH associated with that DMRS resource. When multiple bits, it includes a flag field as well as one or more bits that include least significant bits of a UE identifier (or group identifier). The UE locates its identifier (or group identifier), and limits decoding to that PDSCH with corresponding DMRS resource.