Dowell Loggains provides update on Antwane Wells’ rehab, impact

A hamstring injury has sidelined Antwane ‘Juice’ Wells since the first quarter of the season opener against North Carolina. The South Carolina star’s injury timetable is unknown heading into Week 3, but he has been sorely missed by his offensive unit.

“We have missed the presence of a really good player that’s working hard to get back into it. 17, that’s been the talk right now,” Gamecocks offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said on Wednesday. But let’s not forget about resumes and not forget what people have done. He’s impacted the program the most when they needed him last year and we need that competitive spirit from here on out.”

When healthy, Wells can be one of the best receivers in the SEC. In 2022, he caught 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns last season. He was the go-to guy for quarterback Spencer Rattler one season ago — and once he gets back on the field is expected to maintain that same production.

Setbacks have followed Wells for the past few months as weel, as he was also sidelined for the majority of the offseason with an undisclosed injury. It’s unclear if the two ailments are related — but he’s trying to return to the field as fast as the South Carolina training staff will allow.

“He’s overcoming an injury that most people — 99 percent of the world — wouldn’t be able to come back from,” Loggains said. “He’s ready to get out there, he’s hungry, he’s been really focused all week. I told him, ‘I haven’t heard you all week.’ He’s locked in. You need to be able to be locked in and know when not to run your mouth.

“I know that he’s excited to get back out there and start playing more. The more he can handle, we’ll keep continuing to progress him this week.”

Wells’ status for South Carolina’s road trip at No. 1 Georgia remains unclear heading into the latter half of game week. Regardless if he suits up or not, the Gamecocks are near-four touchdown underdogs, per Vegas Insider, against the top-ranked Bulldogs on Saturday. South Carolina will need to be at full strength to be able to take down Georgia — as Wells would be the forefront of their offensive efforts.

Kickoff for the SEC opener between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET inside Sanford Stadium. CBS will carry the national broadcast.