Shane Beamer shares optimistic injury report on Juice Wells, Nyck Harbor
South Carolina wide receiver Juice Wells missed almost all of preseason camp with what was termed a “lower-body injury” but Gamecock football coach Shane Beamer said during his Tuesday press conference that he fully expects the All-SEC playmaker to play in the Gamecocks’ season-opener on Saturday night.
“Health of the team is good,” Beamer said. “I would say that JT Geer and Bam Scott and Connor Cox are questionable. Everybody else is good to go. Nyck Harbor practiced today, Juice Wells practiced today. Have no issues with those guys, fully expecting to see them on Saturday night.”
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A transfer from James Madison, Wells made an immediate impact on the South Carolina program with a highly productive 2022 season. He finished the season with 68 catches for 928 yards and 6 touchdown receptions.
He saved his best performances for the final two regular-season games, catching 11 passes for 177 yards against Tennessee and adding nine more catches and two touchdowns in a rivalry win over Clemson.
While Wells has certainly missed time this preseason, Beamer was impressed with how he appeared to not miss a beat in his return.
“Told Juice, he got out there and did a little bit of work with the training room yesterday,” Beamer continued. “He was out there with a couple of our strength coaches and one of our trainers and myself just kind of watching him do some things yesterday and told him it was like the movie The Natural. Most of y’all are too young in here to have even seen The Natural, probably.
“But there’s the scene where Roy Hobbs gets out of the hospital and goes and takes batting practice in the stadium at night, where nobody can really see him just to see if he’s healthy. And that’s what it seemed like with Juice yesterday. I know you guys are gonna be shocked. Juice hasn’t seen The Natural, had no idea who Roy Hobbs was. But Will and Nate and Josh got a big kick out of that — our staff members out there as well. But proud of him and the way that he’s fought to come back from that injury as well as Nyck Harbor. And it was great seeing all those guys out there running around today.”
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Harbor signed with South Carolina as a five-star “athlete” and is listed with the second team at wide receiver on the Gamecocks’ official depth chart. He had missed the last couple of weeks with an undisclosed injury.
Geer, a transfer from Syracuse, was listed as one of three potential starters, along with Tyreek Johnson and Terrell Dawkins, at one defensive end spot. Beamer first mentioned last Wednesday at his call-in show that Geer was “banged up.”
Martin-Scott and Connor Cox have been out for some time with undisclosed injuries.
Offensive linemen Jaylen Nichols and Ryan Brubaker are both out for the foreseeable future due to injuries.
The Gamecocks kick off their 2023 campaign this Saturday night against North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with ABC carrying the action.
