Grading South Carolina’s most productive transfers in 2022

Transfer portal season is open for business.

While the South Carolina staff is busy at work looking to land the Gamecocks’ next impact player from another institution, let’s take a look back at this past year’s class of imports.

QB Spencer Rattler

Stats: 233 of 350 for 2,766 yards, 16 TDs and 11 INTs

Grade: B-

Spencer Rattler came to South Carolina as the most ballyhooed transfer in program history.

His track record as a former Heisman Trophy hopeful and five-star recruiting prowess inspired confidence that a change of scenery from a rocky benching at Oklahoma could springboard him toward the top of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The move came with mixed results.

Rattler was lights out in late-season upset wins over No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Clemson, completing 55 of 75 passes for 798 yards, eight touchdowns with two interceptions. His dynamic second half at Kentucky also helped the Gamecocks to just their second win over the Wildcats in nine tries.

Still, the ex-Sooner was up and down for the bulk of the season. Prior to the Tennessee and Clemson wins, Rattler threw for more than 200 yards just twice against FBS competition in nine tries. He was also picked off seven times in South Carolina’s first five games — including three two-interception games.

There’s no question Rattler was a big reason why the Gamecocks pulled off wins over Tennessee and Clemson. But the inconsistency for the bulk of the season dings his grade a good bit.

WR Antwane ‘Juice’ Wells Jr.

Stats: 63 catches for 898 yards and six touchdowns

Grade: A+

Antwane “Juice” Wells rewrote the record books in his two years at James Madison. If he stays another year in Columbia, he may well do the same at South Carolina.

Wells was far and away the Gamecocks’ most explosive receiver in 2022. His 898 yards receiving ranked second in the Southeastern Conference, behind only Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, and marked the 10th-best single-season effort in program history with the bowl game still to play.

The former JMU standout finished the year with four 100-yard games, while receiving first-team all-SEC honors from the league’s coaches.

DB Devonni Reed

Stats: 39 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and one pass defended

Grade: B

Devonni Reed had major shoes to fill coming over from Central Michigan as he slid into the spot vacated by 2021 All-American Jaylan Foster.

Reed did so admirably, playing 152 of his 193 snaps in the secondary at free safety alongside freshman standout Nick Emmanwori.

Though he didn’t star in the way Foster did a year ago, Reed was productive in recording 39 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss. He did miss the Kentucky game due to injury and fought through a handful of nagging issues down the stretch this fall.

TE Austin Stogner

Stats: 20 catches for 210 yards and one touchdown

Grade: C-

Austin Stogner was the first domino to fall in getting Rattler to Columbia, but he never quite matched his own preseason hype.

Stogner finished the year fifth on the team in receptions, but only recorded three games with three or more receptions. That came as Nate Adkins (more on him in a second) and Jaheim Bell steadily climbed past Stogner on the depth chart.

The Texas native has since entered the transfer portal again as a graduate transfer and re-committed to Oklahoma, where he’ll finish his college career.

TE Nate Adkins

Stats: 8 catches for 90 yards

Grade: B+

Don’t let Nate Adkins’ numbers fool you. He proved one of the more impactful transfers among South Carolina’s 2022 group.

Adkins finished the year with a bang, hauling in four catches — including a highlight reel one-handed grab — for 62 yards in the win over Clemson. He also proved a crucial blocking piece, lining up at fullback, tight end and running back.

The former East Tennessee State star recorded the best pass blocking grade of any skill position player on the team and ranked second in pass blocking, per PFF.

South Carolina had issues protecting the passer throughout the 2022 season, but Adkins proved a crucial piece in making things click down the stretch.

RB Christian Beal-Smith

Stats: 36 carries for 148 yards and five touchdowns

Grade: C+

The hope was that Christian Beal-Smith could provide a bruising complement to MarShawn Lloyd out of the backfield, but injuries mostly derailed his season.

Beal-Smith previously led Wake Forest in rushing the last two years. He never quite got healthy enough to really get in a groove this fall.

He finished the year fourth on the team in rushing behind Lloyd, Bell and Juju McDowell, while playing just eight games due to a foot injury.

Beal-Smith did have some nice moments, including a 52-yard touchdown scamper in the Nov. 5 win over Vanderbilt. That said, missing as many games as he did held him back from his full potential.