Juice Wells to enter transfer portal?
Days after seemingly indicating that he would return to South Carolina for another season, wide receiver Juice Wells has now privately told multiple people he plans to enter the transfer portal, GamecockCentral has learned.
GamecockCentral’s Chris Clark has more details for subscribers here.
Wells has not yet officially entered the portal and could still technically reverse course which means it’s not 100 percent done — but again Wells has privately expressed his plans to enter the portal.
South Carolina Transfer Portal Resources:
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- South Carolina Portal Tracker
- On3 National Portal Tracker
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It’s a change of thought from what Wells had previously strongly implied.
With speculation running rampant last week about whether Wells would return to action in the season finale against rival Clemson, the star wide receiver took to X/Twitter to provide an update on his status.
“Clearing the air, I’m not playing and not holding out for the NFL draft. I’ll be back next year…” Wells said at the time.
While Wells did not explicitly say in the post that he was returning to South Carolina, it was widely believed that is what he meant.
But that sentiment has since shifted and Wells now intends to enter the portal.
Now, the Gamecocks will potentially be forced to replace both Xavier Legette, who is off to the NFL after leading the team in receptions and receiving yards this year, and Wells, who was hampered by injury this season but was their leading receiver in 2021.
Wells missed most of the season with a summer foot injury that affected him for the entire campaign.
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Despite the August injury, Wells played in South Carolina’s first three games and appeared to be getting close to his old self when he scored the first touchdown of a Week 3 matchup with Georgia.
But he had to exit to the locker room right after that score and Beamer told CBS then that they feared he had broken a bone in his foot.
Wells went on to miss the final eight games of the year.
A preseason All-SEC selection, the Richmond native emerged as quarterback Spencer Rattler’s top target last season, collecting a team-high 68 catches for 928 yards and six touchdowns. Wells elected in January to return to Columbia for the 2023 season after considering leaving for the NFL.
Prior to his arrival in Columbia, Wells spent two seasons at James Madison.
In his season year, Wells caught 83 passes for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those numbers rank fourth (tied), third and first (tied), respectively, in all of FCS and broke the JMU school record in all three categories.
A Highland Springs graduate from Richmond, Va., Wells ranks third all-time at JMU in career receiving touchdowns (21), ninth in career receiving yards (1,853) and ninth in career receptions (116) in a little over a season and a half played.
Wells chose South Carolina over offers from UNC, Miami, Mississippi State, and Virginia Tech.
