Spencer Rattler lands at South Carolina. 5 things to know about new Gamecocks QB
Spencer Rattler is a Gamecock.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer landed one of college football’s more sought-after quarterbacks Monday, landing Rattler from the NCAA transfer portal.
Rattler had spent the first three seasons of his college career with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma. He lost the starting job in Norman to Caleb Williams midway through the 2021 season and entered the transfer portal Nov. 29 after Riley’s departure to Southern Cal.
Here’s what you need to know about the Gamecocks’ latest addition.
Where is Spencer Rattler from?
Rattler was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where he played high school football at Pinnacle High School under head coach Dana Zupke.
USA Today High School Sports reported that Rattler broke the Arizona state all-time passing yards record on his 18th birthday in September 2018 and finished his preps career with 11,083 yards and 116 passing touchdowns. He also ran for over 1,000 yards in high school, adding four touchdowns on the ground.
He committed to Riley’s Oklahoma Sooners out of high school over offers from Alabama, Texas, Notre Dame and Southern Cal, among others.
What were Spencer Rattler’s stats at Oklahoma?
After playing in three games behind Jalen Hurts in 2019, Rattler broke out as a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma in 2020.
Rattler, a 6-foot-1 pro-style quarterback, started all 11 of Oklahoma’s games in 2020. He completed 214 of his 317 passes for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
That year, the Sooners went 9-2, won the Big 12 Championship and defeated Florida in the Cotton Bowl. Rattler was named a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist and CBS Sports’ national freshman of the year.
Rattler suffered a sophomore slump after he was deemed a preseason favorite for the 2021 Heisman Trophy as well as being pegged by some media outlets as a potential top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was pulled as the Sooners’ offense struggled against Texas on Oct. 9 and subsequently lost the starting quarterback role to freshman phenom Caleb Williams.
Rattler attempted just 12 passes in three games after he was benched in favor of Williams. He completed 74.9% of his passes for 1,483 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2021.
Rattler entered the transfer portal after the conclusion of the regular season.
How did Spencer Rattler end up with Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks?
Beamer and Rattler crossed paths when Beamer was an assistant coaching tight ends at Oklahoma from 2018-20.
Beamer is known to be a proficient recruiter, and, ironically, is credited by 247Sports as the Sooners’ primary recruiter for Williams, the quarterback who replaced Rattler in Norman.
One day after Rattler entered the transfer portal in November, the Bovada Sportsbook projected Arizona State the favorite to land his commitment. South Carolina was a more unlikely destination, with Nov. 30 odds at +1000.
Along with Rattler, Beamer added another former Sooner to his Gamecocks’ program. Tight end Austin Stogner also announced his move to Columbia on Monday.
What was Spencer Rattler’s recruit rating out of high school?
Rattler was the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2019, the No. 1 player out of Arizona and the No. 11 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite.
He committed to Oklahoma the summer before his junior year of high school, announcing his intention to come to Norman in June 2017. He signed his letter of intent in December 2018 and enrolled in summer 2019.
Rattler played three games as a freshman behind Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts, who used his final year of eligibility at Oklahoma.
What is Spencer Rattler’s eligibility?
Rattler has three years of college eligibility remaining, including the extra season given by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 disruptions in 2020.
Rattler will be classified as a redshirt junior next season, having played in three games as a freshman at Oklahoma.
