Recruited in another off-season transfer portal move by head coach Lane Kiffin, wide receiver Juice Wells has been the key to igniting Kiffin’s offense.
The narrative after the 2023 season was that the Rebels wanted to upgrade the roster to become a national title contender. Ole Miss added some big names on defense including defensive tackle Walter Nolen and defensive end Princely Umanmielen. As for the offense, the Rebels felt they needed another crucial asset to their receiver room.
Former South Carolina wide receiver Juice Wells was one of the few proven players in the SEC who was transferring and available — despite dealing with injuries for the majority of the 2023 season.
In 2021 and 2022, Wells racked in 151 catches for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns across one season at South Carolina and the other at James Madison.
Wells was sought after by many highly ranked teams including Texas and Oregon. Even with Wells slowly recovering during the portal season, Ole Miss trusted Wells would get himself back on the field. Wells did just that during the off-season and looks healthy.
“It took from all of spring to fall camp,” Wells said in a post-game presser after the Rebels MTSU contest.
Wells has proven himself to be the perfect fit to the wide receiver room after the departure of Dayton Wade to the NFL Draft, and he has become a significant part of the dynamic offense.
In Wells’ first catch as an Ole Miss Rebel against Furman, he brought in a 61-yard bomb on a post route from quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first quarter for the second score of the game. Wells finished the game with two receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown.
Wells had another impressive showing last Saturday against Middle Tennessee, hauling in another six catches for 78 yards and one touchdown in the 52-3 blowout victory.
One of the most telling things about the trajectory of the Ole Miss program is how highly all the transfers speak of the talent and opportunities in Oxford.
“I chose Ole Miss because I felt like Ole Miss was the best team in the SEC,” Wells said in a presser on Monday, Sept. 2.
