Shane Beamer hints at a Juice Wells return for South Carolina-Clemson game
South Carolina has been without its star wide receiver Juice Wells for the majority of the 2023 season. On Thursday night, head coach Shane Beamer reaffirmed that Wells’s season has not been ruled over despite being out this week against Kentucky.
“He’s not far off from being able to play. He actually practiced on Tuesday and was really impressive at practice,” Beamer said on his weekly call-in show with Todd Ellis on 107.5 The Game.
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Juice Wells was a force on offense for the Gamecocks in 2022. He was first-team All-SEC and Spencer Rattler’s favorite target, racking up 68 receptions for 928 yards and six touchdowns.
“Juice wants to be out there and we want Juice to be out there,” Beamer said. “I’ve had a lot of great meetings with Juice this week. He’s not far off from being able to play.”
The playmaker’s 2023 campaign has been cut short up until this point in the year due to a left foot injury. The last time fans saw Wells in action for the Gamecocks was week three against Georgia.
It felt as if he was back to his old self between the hedges, exploding for two receptions for 32 yards and the opening touchdown. On the touchdown catch, Wells re-aggravated the foot injury and has been out indefinitely ever since.
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“We all know Juice and what kind of competitor he is,” Beamer said. “Juice wants to be out there and he’s working hard each day to get back out there. So hopefully, that’ll be soon.”
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South Carolina has work ahead of them this weekend in Kentucky if they want to remain bowl-eligible. If they can remain in the hunt, the incentive for Wells to return increases even more.
Wells still has one more year of eligibility left. There is always room for a return in 2024, especially in the age of NIL. At the end of the day, Beamer just wants to make the best decision for Wells and his team.
“We just want to make sure it’s the right thing for him when he goes back out there and continue to talk with doctors and our training staff to make sure we’re making the best decision for our team and for him as well.”
