South Carolina Football: Juice Wells named top SEC wide receiver
By Kevin Miller
This offseason has been one loaded with hype for Antwane “Juice” Wells. The South Carolina football star was an All-SEC performer in his first year with the Gamecocks in 2022 after transferring in from FCS school James Madison. Wells received the honor even with the team experiencing a rough season calling plays from former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield.
On the season, despite four games with three targets or less, Juice Wells racked up 68 catches for 928 yards and 6 touchdowns. All six of those scores occurred on the road as Wells’ only touchdown in Williams-Brice Stadium a year ago came on a rushing score in the team’s blowout of Tennessee.
The dynamic pass catcher would have been drafted in last year’s NFL Draft, but his stock was not as high as many believed it should have been. Likely destined to be a late-round selection, Wells opted to return to school along with his quarterback Spencer Rattler.
That decision has been met with high expectations for #3 in garnet and black. Many preseason prognosticators have praised Wells as one of the top returning wide receivers in college football. He was included on a preseason All-American team by Athlon Sports, and numerous outlets have him pegged as a first-team or second-team receiver in the league.
Another recent honor for Juice Wells came from USAToday as the national outlet named him the top receiver in the SEC.
Wells took the top spot and was followed by LSU’s Malik Nabers, Ole Miss’ Zakhari Franklin, Georgia’s Dominic Lovett, Texas A&M’s Muhsin Muhammad, Jr., Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, Georgia’s RaRa Thomas, Texas A&M’s Ainias Smith, and Ole Miss’ Tre Harris.
Gamecock fans and Columbia businesses alike seem to be excited about Wells bringing the juice back to South Carolina football in 2023. As of the middle of May, no player in the SEC had accumulated more NIL deals than Wells.
If last year’s production and this offseason’s hype are any indication, Wells will not be returning to South Carolina for his final year of eligibility in 2024 as the receiver will be a high pick in the 2024 NFL Draft next April.