High-profile transfers Spencer Rattler, Austin Stogner commit to Gamecocks
Shane Beamer dropped the biggest recruiting bomb of his tenure to date Monday night.
Oklahoma transfers Spencer Rattler and Austin Stogner announced their intentions to transfer to conclude their careers at South Carolina and sent the college football world into a frenzy.
Rattler is one of the more sought-after quarterback transfers in recent memory after his redshirt sophomore year went sideways with the Sooners.
“Excited for the next chapter! #SpursUp,” he posted to social media.
The former five-star recruit was among the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy after a freshman season in which he completed 214 of 317 passes for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Despite the preseason hype, Rattler struggled to match the overwhelming expectations as the heir to Kyler Murray’s throne in Norman. He finished the year connecting on 74.9% of his passes for 1,483 yards, 11 touchdowns, but was supplanted as the starter by five-star wunderkind Caleb Williams during Oklahoma’s come-from-behind win over Texas.
Rattler threw just 12 passes over the final month-plus of the season and he announced his intentions to transfer from Oklahoma in late November.
South Carolina will head toward spring practices with a quarterback room that was in need of an experienced piece. Sophomore Luke Doty had secured the starting spot coming out of last spring, but a foot injury limited and ultimately ended his season prematurely.
With Doty sidelined at the season’s outset, Zeb Noland was converted from a graduate assistant to quarterback following a playing career that bounced from Iowa State to North Dakota State and, eventually, South Carolina.
FCS transfer Jason Brown took the reigns for the Gamecocks over the final four games — including wins over Auburn and Florida — after Doty went down for the year and Noland underwent a procedure on his knee during the bye week.
South Carolina also has freshman Colten Gauthier rostered, while four-star Delaware product Braden Davis is expected to sign with the Gamecocks on Wednesday when the early signing period.
Stogner arrived at OU as a four-star prospect and the No. 3 tight end in the class of 2019, according to the 247Sports Composite. He played for two seasons under Beamer in Norman before the latter took the head coaching job at South Carolina.
“Let’s roll!! #ForeverToThee,” Stogner wrote on social media.
The Plano, Texas native was a second team All-Big 12 selection by The Associated Press last season after he recorded 26 catches for 422 yards and three touchdowns in just eight games. He missed the final two regular season games in 2020 and the Big 12 Championship due to injury.
Stogner had been quieter in 2021 after a breakout second season. He recorded 14 receptions for 166 yards and three scores in Lincoln Riley’s final season at Oklahoma.
“Long, almost gangly prospect with a frame that can hold plenty more weight,” former 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons wrote of Stogner as a high school prospect. “Has developed steadily and consistently over the course of high school career. Adequate combine testing but deceptively athletic. Plays with effort, physicality and toughness.”
South Carolina could use some added depth in the tight end room with Nick Muse slated to graduate and having missed out on four-star 2022 prospect Oscar Delp — who chose Georgia over USC.
With Stogner now in the fold, the Gamecocks tight end room will include the Oklahoma import, do-it-all playmaker Jaheim Bell, Traevon Kenion and Keveon Mullins. Bell earned second team All-SEC honors from Pro Football Focus, while both Kenion and Mullens flashed in spurts this fall.
Stogner is one of a handful of Sooners to depart the program since Riley left OU for the head coaching job at Southern Cal earlier this week. The Sooners were all but eliminated from College Football Playoff contention with their loss to Oklahoma State last week.
USC finished its 2021 regular season 6-6 with a 30-0 season finale loss to in-state rival Clemson and will face North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 9:10 PM.
