Twenty-Two Names to Know for the Ole Miss Season: No. 6 Juice Wells
OXFORD, Miss. – As we lead up to week one in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the kickoff of Ole Miss football’s 2024 season, The Rebel Walk team is highlighting one player each day for our ‘Ole Miss 22’ rankings. We’ll explain who they are, how they got here, and what we expect from each.
Today, we look at the No. 6 player on the list, Wide Receiver, Antwane “Juice” Wells.
With one year of eligibility remaining, Juice Wells is looking to become a key player in Lane Kiffin’s offense to boost his NFL Draft stock and help the Rebel passing attack in every way possible.
How did Juice Wells arrive at Ole Miss?
Juice, like many Division One athletes, was a stud in high school, playing at Highland Spring in Richmond, Virginia. He caught 12 touchdowns for 880 yards as a senior and was also named a first-team all-state player, earning him an offer to play at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
As soon as Wells arrived on campus for the Dukes, there was no question that the freshman had unlimited potential. He averaged 18.3 yards per catch on 33 receptions in the 2020 season, turning heads from programs around the nation.
After dominating for another year at James Madison and being named to the FCS All-American second team, Wells entered the transfer portal and decided to take his talents to South Carolina, where he spent two years with the Gamecocks. During his first season in Columbia, Wells became the No. 1 target for Carolina and earned himself a nomination on the SEC first team from SEC coaches and PFF.
Juice Wells single-handedly beat Clemson 😂 https://t.co/fOfC6lgthK pic.twitter.com/cv4gLfuz0g
— WA🅾️Ⓜ️ (@WAOM_) May 16, 2024
Anticipating a breakout senior year in hopes of preparing himself for the NFL, Wells unfortunately broke his foot early in the 2023 season and was not healthy to participate throughout the season. With one year to play, Juice entered the transfer portal in early December, and two weeks later, he committed to Ole Miss.
Career Outlook
As we mentioned, Wells became a noticeable player the moment he stepped on the field for JMU, but it’s important to recognize that at both of the schools he attended, he evolved into a dominant, proven player.
In his breakout year with the Dukes, Juice posted one of the most impressive stat lines you’ll ever see from a receiver. He started all 14 games, caught 15 touchdowns, and hauled in 33 receptions for 1,250 yards. Despite his success, his playstyle and physicality seemingly transferred immediately into the SEC during the 2022 season.
Wells became the first South Carolina player to be a first-team All-SEC player since 2018 and caught for 928 yards on 68 receptions while scoring six touchdowns. Most notably, to close out the regular season, Wells combined for 308 receiving yards on 20 receptions with a touchdown against two of the of the top ten teams, Tennessee and Clemson.
New Ole Miss WR Juice Wells looks to be near 100% for the season 👀 pic.twitter.com/fxIGSufyY0
— College Football Headlines (@CFBHeadlines) July 23, 2024
Like we stated earlier, Juice appeared in only two games last season due to a foot injury, but there’s no question that he has the potential to return as an all-SEC player playing in an offense filled with a ridiculous amount of NFL talent.
Heading into 2024
Juice will begin the season with some of the most talented teammates in the country, including wide receivers Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Cayden Lee, Ayden Williams, Micah Davis, and others.
It’s also worth acknowledging the offensive versatility of tight ends Caden Prieskorn and Dae’Quan Wright, who will draw a substantial amount of attention from opposing defenses. Lastly, it can’t hurt to mention that the man throwing the ball, Jaxson Dart, is going into his third year in Kiffin’s offense and is a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Getting after it 🧃@juicew3lls | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/U0Yv8XxJbo
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 24, 2024
Looking at how fall camp has gone for Juice, the media has not been able to see live action from the receiver due to his injury recovery, but according to the Ole Miss Football Instagram page, Wells was a full participant in the Rebels’ mock game on Saturday night and should be ready to go against Furman next week.
Juice brings an underrated amount of talent to the field that has not been on display for almost an entire year, which you can bet will be on full display for the Rebs this fall. Hotty Toddy!
