South Carolina Football: Gamecocks put two on ESPN’s top-100 player list
By Kevin Miller
The South Carolina football team has players who have made various preseason lists this summer. From preseason award watch lists to a list ranking college football’s “biggest freaks” to preseason All-American teams, more than a handful of Gamecocks have gotten some well-deserved publicity this offseason.
Two of the names most commonly talked about in recent months from Shane Beamer’s squad are quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Juice Wells. Both players were nominated to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list and were on multiple preseason All-SEC teams. Wells even made a few preseason All-American lists.
On Tuesday, ESPN released its 2023 college football season top-100 players list, and the dynamic garnet and black connection found themselves on the list.
Wells was the first Gamecock mentioned by the Worldwide Leader, coming in at the lower-than-deserved 91st spot.
Juice Wells certainly is better than the 91st-best player in college football, especially when considering 10 other receivers were placed above him on the list. Wells has missed some time in fall camp with a minor lower-body injury, but he is expected to be ready for the season opener against North Carolina.
Rattler was just two spots behind Wells on the list, slotting in at #93.
Rattler’s up-and-down play makes his ranking more understandable than Wells’. However, there is major optimism in Gamecock Nation for Rattler to have a big final season in Columbia, propelling him much higher on this list and to a premier selection slot in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is the 19th quarterback on ESPN’s list.
Some South Carolina football fans may be surprised to see no other Gamecocks on the list. Cornerback Marcellas Dial made the top-100 list for On3 earlier this offseason (#67; Wells was #54), and tight end Trey Knox, defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway, and punter Kai Kroeger have all received a lot of national praise this offseason.