Former Gamecock Juice Wells has interesting TD celebration. Was he mocking Beamer?
Antwane “Juice” Wells took an apparent jab against South Carolina coach Shane Beamer on Thursday night that went viral.
The Ole Miss receiver and former Gamecock appeared to mock Beamer during a touchdown celebration against Duke in the Tax Slayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
Wells caught a 32-yard pass from Jaxson Dart in the first quarter of the game against Duke. In the end zone, he had a teammate hold him back while he pretended to angrily point at another teammate for his celebration.
Wells’ antics seemed to mimic to what Beamer did during Tuesday’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl loss to Illinois after a controversial play.
With an Illinois defender injured on the ground near South Carolina’s sideline at Camping World Stadium, Illinois coach Bret Bielema walked over then looked at Beamer and held his arms out and gestured.
Beamer saw Bielema motioning and started charging forward, screaming and pointing at the Illinois head coach. A number of staffers held him back and escorted him back to the sideline.
After a 21-17 loss, Beamer told reporters that Bielema was questioning a play South Carolina made earlier in the third quarter on special teams.
The Illinois coach questioned whether a sequence that included a throwback pass from Juju McDowell to Nyck Harbor was ethical.
Bielema told reporters that South Carolina players held their arms wide in a “T bar pose” as if to indicate they weren’t going to return the kick.
McDowell’s play to Harbor came after Illinois players slowed down on the return, thinking the play was over, according to Bielema.
So, was Wells mocking Beamer with his touchdown celebration on Thursday?
That was the general consensus among observers on social media. But after the Rebels’ 52-20 win over Duke in Jacksonville, there wasn’t a clear answer.
Ole Miss did not make Wells available to the media postgame, and neither coach Lane Kiffin nor Dart were asked about the celebration during their news conferences.
Wells has also made a number of social media posts since the game ended late Thursday but none specifically addressing the intent of his celebration.
Juice Wells’ USC career
It wasn’t the best ending between Wells and the Gamecocks.
Wells originally transferred to South Carolina after a productive freshman season at James Madison in 2021. He quickly became Spencer Rattler’s favorite target in the 2022 season with the Gamecocks, catching 63 passes for 898 yards and six touchdowns, and was a second-team all-Southeastern Conference selection.
Last season, he played in just three games for South Carolina after suffering a foot injury. He caught three passes for 37 yards.
Then some late-season drama emerged about his future. On Nov. 20, Wells posted to social media that he will “be back next year.” Then, 10 days later, reports surfaced that Wells was headed to the transfer portal. A few weeks later, the receiver committed to Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss.
Wells addressed his departure from USC only once this season. He returned to Williams-Brice Stadium on Oct. 5 when the Gamecocks hosted the Rebels.
Wells was booed by fans before and during the game. He finished with three catches for 97 yards and nearly had a touchdown in Ole Miss’ 27-3 win over the Gamecocks.
Wells caught a 66-yard pass but fumbled at the 1-yard line and the ball went out of the end zone.
“I was happy on how he was able to handle himself,” Dart said after the game. “I know it is not definitely easy coming into the place where you were the guy and then everyone turns on you. I was proud of him on how he handled this week.”
Without naming Wells, Beamer appeared to take an indirect shot at the former wide receiver a month later. In November, with USC sitting at 7-3, Beamer reflected on a conversation he had with a “player who left our program after last season.”
The player, Beamer said, told the South Carolina coach he wasn’t confident in the the future of the program.
“He said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to be very good and we don’t have a quarterback,’” Beamer said. “He told me that.”
Beamer continued: “I said, ‘Well, I disagree, we’ve got us a quarterback. You’ve seen our quarterbacks at practice and we’re going to be good around him.’ And that player said, ‘I don’t know, coach, it ain’t looking too good.’”
That quarterback, of course, was current USC star LaNorris Sellers.
Wells had 27 catches for 521 yards and five touchdowns this season for the Rebels.
