Hidden Gems: Florida Wide Receiver Rick Wells Could Be in for a Breakout Campaign

With the infusion of new blood on the way for the Gators at wide receiver, one veteran could be the true benefactor.

Adversity travels through nearly everyone, and particularly it has seemingly been highlighted through the careers of young athletes. That is very much the case for Gators redshirt-senior wide receiver Rick Wells.

Wells, 6-foot-0, 202 pounds, been through a lot - waiting for an opportunity to showcase his talents since the minute he stepped foot on Florida's campus in 2016. Wells, a 2016 recruit out of Jacksonville (Fla.), has been stranded on the bench within a deep receiver room in Gainesville, a lot having to do with off the field incidents.

In 2016, Wells was arrested due to an incident regarding an air-soft gun. In 2017, his redshirt freshman season, Wells spent the entire year suspended and away from the team due to a credit card fraud scandal involving several Florida football players, which drew a black cloud over the university. Another air-soft gun incident in 2018, and a mystery suspension in week one of 2019 has led to Wells catching just three receptions for 33 yards in his collegiate career, appearing in two games.

While there is plenty of reason to doubt a sudden surge, an opportunity could come thanks in part to several highly targeted receivers leaving the program, out of eligibility.

A three-star recruit out of Raines high school in Jacksonville (Fla.), Wells wasn't the most heavily recruited prospect, although he did receive offers not only from Florida, but from  Virginia Tech and South Carolina as well. In his prep career, Wells showcased his deep-threat potential by posting 69 receptions for 1,431 yards and 13 touchdowns in just three seasons of play.

Gators head coach Dan Mullen was interested in seeing Wells during spring ball, but due to the ongoing pandemic associated with the Coronavirus (Covid-19), spring activities have been all but canceled. Still, for Mullen and the rest of the Gators' coaching staff to have a high opinion on a player they easily could have moved on from should be motivating.

"...he’s worked his tail off and really the opportunity is there for him to be more of an impact player. I’m excited to see what kind of spring that he has," Mullen said just a week prior to when spring ball was set to kickoff.

Wells will now need to compete during the fall in order to retain his expected repetitions during the regular seasons. Receivers such as Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland will certainly have a leg-up over Wells, but there is a chance, if given the opportunity, he could succeed in Mullen's spread offense, which has routinely featured multiple receivers.

During the offseason, former Gators receiver Josh Hammond spoke highly of Wells during the East-West Shrine Game.

“I think Rick Wells will be big,” Hammond told the Tampa Bay Times in January. “I think he’ll be the sleeper. He did really well all throughout the season just preparing, preparing, preparing. I love his game. I love his attitude. He’s been through a lot, so adversity doesn’t faze him anymore. He’s ready for whatever’s thrown at him.”

A sleeper is right. While he is not one of the majorly suspected breakout-campaign players which have received the brunt of the attention as of late, Wells has the experience of working hard during practice and bettering himself not only on the field, but off it as well. A hidden gem.