Which Gamecock transfers will make the biggest impact in 2022?

Which Gamecock transfers will make the biggest impact in 2022?​

Feb. 20, 2022

South Carolina hit the transfer portal as hard as anyone over the most recent recruiting cycle. After bringing in nine imports during Shane Beamer’s first offseason in charge, the Gamecocks added another seven pieces to an increasingly intriguing roster heading toward spring ball. The Gamecocks currently boats the nation’s No. 7 transfer class, per 247Sports’ team transfer rankings. That’s good for fourth in the Southeastern Conference behind only Ole Miss (No. 2), LSU (No. 3), and Arkansas (No. 6).

So who of South Carolina’s transfers might have the most impact? Let’s project some performers.

WR ANTWANE “JUICE” WELLS (JAMES MADISON)

Antwane “Juice” Wells may have done his work at the FCS level the last two seasons, but he’s a guy that can just flat out make plays. The former James Madison standout left the school as one of the most prolific receivers in school history despite playing just 22 games. Wells finished third in program history in yards receiving (1,853) and ninth in receptions (119) and touchdown catches (21).

South Carolina isn’t exactly pressed for receiving options with 2021 leading receiver Josh Vann and do-it-all offensive weapon Jaheim Bell back in the boat, but Wells gives the Gamecocks the kind of game-breaking piece that could elevate the offense as a whole. Wells’ teammates at James Madison compared him LSU standout and current Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase. JMU quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri who worked on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff for over two years reportedly said he’s every bit as good as Crimson Tide studs John Metchie, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith. The Gamecocks are going to have options in the passing game.

Vann should be a star once more. Bell is a matchup nightmare. Oklahoma import Austin Stogner, Dakereon Joyner, Xavier Legette, and even freshman Landon Samson should factor into the equation, albeit at differing levels. That said, Wells may be the key to unlocking a passing attack that could use another downfield threat alongside Vann.

QB SPENCER RATTLER (OKLAHOMA)

No surprise here as Spencer Rattler goes in 2022, South Carolina will follow. The Gamecocks have a long history of struggling to find high-end quarterbacks. There have been moments of reprieve with the Connor Shaws and Stephen Garcias of the world, but there are few, if any, signal-callers in the 130 years of USC football that had Rattler’s upside.

The former five-star recruit would rate as the sixth-highest rated recruit in the modern era to sign with South Carolina had he pledged out of high school, per 247Sports. That’s ahead of names like Stephon Gilmore, Cliff Matthews and Shaq Roland. Rattler’s saga at Oklahoma is well documented. He was seen as the heir to Kyler Murray’s quarterback throne in Norman. Rattler was largely effective in his first year as a starter and entered the 2021 season as a Heisman Trophy favorite. His time at OU ended with his benching in favor of Caleb Williams, now at Southern Cal with Lincoln Riley.

That Rattler didn’t net the anticipated results of scouts and recruiting experts at Oklahoma shouldn’t worry folks. He still finished eighth nationally in passing touchdowns, 11th in quarterback rating and 17th in total passing yards passing as a freshman. South Carolina’s quarterback room was a complete disaster in 2021. It necessitated four different starters due to a combination of injuries. It amounted to an offense that floundered far more than it flourished. Rattler has the kind of upside to win a game or two on his arm alone. He immediately boosts the Gamecocks’ ceiling and, if all goes well, should be the first quarterback selected in the NFL draft out of South Carolina since Todd Ellis in 1990.

S DEVONNI REED (CENTRAL MICHIGAN

South Carolina brings back the bulk of its overachieving defense for next season. The biggest missing piece, though? All-American safety Jaylan Foster. With Foster off to the NFL, Devonni Reed gives the Gamecocks an immediate plug and play option at safety and one who’s been one of the more productive tacklers in the MAC over the last two years. Reed spent five years at Central Michigan, recording 287 tackles for the Chippewas.
He earned third-team All-MAC honors in 2020 and finished eighth among all league defensive backs in tackles last fall. South Carolina does bring R.J.

Roderick back for one more season at safety, but Reed should slide nicely into the spot alongside him. The Gamecocks also have former Washington State transfer Tyrese Ross and a plethora of freshman defensive backs to work with in 2022. Reed won’t capture as many headlines as Rattler and Wells might over the next few months, but he’s an instant-impact guy that should fill a spot of need.

SOUTH CAROLINA TRANSFER PORTAL COMMITS
QB Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma)
RB Christian Beal-Smith (Wake Forest)
RB Lovasea Carroll (Georgia)
WR Antwane Wells (James Madison)
TE Austin Stogner (Oklahoma)
DL Terrell Dawkins (N.C. State)
S Devonni Reed (Central Michigan)