South Carolina football star WR Antwane 'Juice' Wells to enter transfer portal | Report
COLUMBIA — South Carolina football’s standout wide receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells plans to enter the transfer portal with a year of eligibility left, according to a report from TheBigSpur.com.
Wells transferred to the Gamecocks from James Madison in 2022 and led the team in receiving yards that season with 928 plus six touchdowns. He was a second-team All-SEC selection and earned first-team honors preseason.
The 6-oot-1, 210-pound receiver opted to return to South Carolina with quarterback Spencer Rattler in 2023 rather than declare for the NFL Draft, but Wells missed most of the 2023 season because of a foot injury. He was limited throughout preseason practice, and the injury became season-ending after he aggravated it in Week 4 at Georgia. Wells logged 37 yards and a touchdown in three appearances.
"Clearing the air, I'm not playing and not holding out for the NFL draft," Wells wrote on X, formerly Twitter, before the Gamecocks faced Clemson on Nov. 25. "I'll be back next year ..."
Wells is the third high-profile offensive player to transfer out of South Carolina in the past two years. The Gamecocks lost top running back Marshawn Lloyd to Southern Cal and tight end Jaheim Bell to Florida State in 2022, and they also lost a star on the defensive front when Jordan Burch left for Oregon.
South Carolina will not return any of its Week 1 starting receivers in 2024 if Wells transfers. Xavier Legette, the breakout star of 2023, is out of eligibility as is Ahmarean Brown. Nyck Harbor is currently poised to be the top returner next season after making five starts and recording 195 yards on 12 receptions. Sophomore O'Mega Blake also made four starts, logging 250 yards and two touchdowns on 19 catches.
BIGGEST QUESTIONS: Biggest questions for South Carolina football after first losing season in Shane Beamer era
The Gamecocks have only one true wide receiver committed to their 2024 class: four-star Greenville native Mazeo Bennett. The team will also have questions at quarterback next year after Rattler declared for the NFL Draft on Wednesday.
South Carolina (5-7, 3-5 SEC) finished 2023 with its first losing record under coach Shane Beamer despite career seasons from Rattler and Legette. The team won won a single game in which it was not favored — as a 1.5-point underdog to Kentucky.
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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football star WR Juice Wells to enter transfer portal
