Gamecocks land former Big Ten weapon for LaNorris Sellers

On Friday night, the South Carolina Gamecocks landed former Purdue wide receiver Nitro Tuggle via the transfer portal. The addition gives quarterback LaNorris Sellers another experienced target after Tuggle’s productive 2025 campaign.

Tuggle appeared in all 12 games for the Boilermakers and made 11 starts during his Big Ten season. He finished the year with 34 receptions for 500 yards and four touchdowns. Those 500 receiving yards ranked second on the Purdue list, while his four touchdown catches were the most on the team. His consistency showed throughout the season as he recorded at least three receptions in seven different games.

Some of Tuggle’s best outings have been against high-level competition. In the season finale against Indiana, he turned in his best single-game performance of the season, catching five passes for 80 yards. He also had 69 receiving yards against Southern Cal and 66 receiving yards against Notre Dame, scoring a touchdown in each of those games. Other strong games came against Minnesota and Washington, where he had three receptions for 58 yards and three receptions for 57, respectively.

Before landing at Purdue, Tuggle began his college career at Georgia as part of the 2024 draft. As a true freshman for the Bulldogs, he appeared in eight games and had three catches for 34 yards. He was originally rated as a four-star prospect out of Northwood High School in Indiana, earning the No. 127 overall pick in the 2024 cycle by the Rivals Industry Rankings and among the top 25 wide receivers by multiple recruiting services.

After an indefinite suspension at Georgia, Tuggle transferred to Purdue, where he became the team’s No. 2 receiver. After one full season with the Boilermakers, he entered the transfer portal and visited South Carolina and Vanderbilt before choosing the Gamecocks. He will arrive in Columbia with two years of eligibility remaining.

Tuggle becomes South Carolina’s second wide receiver out of the gate this offseason and the 10th overall transfer for the 2026 cycle. He joins a group that includes Jayden Gibson, who committed last week, along with a number of offensive line additions and defensive reinforcements. His former Purdue teammate, offensive lineman Hank Purvis, is also part of the same transfer class.

The Gamecocks’ wide receiver room features returning players like Nick Harbor, Jayden Sellers and Donovan Murph. With Sellers, Harbor and EDGE Dylan Stewart set to return in 2026, South Carolina is looking to turn things around after finishing 5–7 last season despite a 13th-ranked campaign.