Juice Wells officially announces portal plans
A few days after reports surfaced that Juice Wells was telling people he was going to enter the transfer portal, the South Carolina wide receiver officially confirmed that to be the case on Sunday night.
In a post on Twitter/X, Wells thanked South Carolina fans and the coaching staff before announcing his intentions to enter the portal as a graduate transfer with two years remaining.
The transfer portal officially opens on Monday.
South Carolina Transfer Portal Resources:
- South Carolina Target Watchlist
- South Carolina Portal Tracker
- On3 National Portal Tracker
- Get portal news notifications with the App
The news last week that Wells was planning to enter the portal represented a change of thought from what Wells had previously strongly implied.
With speculation running rampant the week prior 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 likely 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.
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.
