‘It’s a big shot in the arm.’ Finebaum has high praise for Beamer, USC’s Rattler move
Paul Finebaum is optimistic about the direction of South Carolina football.
Spencer Rattler, one of the more highly coveted quarterbacks in the transfer portal from Oklahoma, made waves in the college football world Monday night when he announced his commitment to Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks.
Finebaum had generally positive words about the news out of Columbia on his SEC Network show Tuesday.
“I think it was a big move,” Finebaum said in response to a caller asking his thoughts on Rattler to the Gamecocks. “I don’t know what Spencer Rattler is going to look like. I know what he was, and four months ago, he was the top player in college football coming into the season. It went badly for him.
“That doesn’t mean it will go badly for him now. But I think for South Carolina, considering their quarterback woes, it’s a big shot in the arm to get someone of his ability and hope that he fits well into South Carolina’s approach.”
Rattler entered his sophomore season with the Sooners a preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after a freshman campaign that saw him complete 67.5% of his passes for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
A former five-star prospect and top pro-style quarterback in the class of 2019, Rattler couldn’t re-create magic early for the Sooners in 2021 and wound up on the bench midway through Oklahoma’s game against Texas on Oct. 9. Caleb Williams took the job, and Rattler attempted just 12 total passes the rest of the season.
He finished last season completing 74.9% of his passes for 1,483 yards, 11 scores and five interceptions before entering the transfer portal in late November.
“I don’t know what really went wrong for (Rattler) this year,” Finebaum said. “I know what his potential is. ... Spencer was one of the top players a couple years ago, and he earned his Heisman preseason ranking. Now it’s just a matter of recovering what he had, but it’s still a big deal for Shane Beamer.”
Speaking with a subsequent caller, Finebaum was highly complimentary of Beamer’s effort in his first season at South Carolina. In his first year, Beamer led the Gamecocks to a 6-6 season, tying their win total from the past two seasons combined and getting them to their first bowl appearance since 2018.
When asked if he felt Beamer won his first year at South Carolina, Finebaum answered with a resounding yes.
“I would say, hands down, he won,” Finebaum said. “I had a chance to be in South Carolina early in the season to see it firsthand. I realized that was early, but what I saw was incredible. I saw a fan base, especially students, who are enamored with Shane Beamer, who love what he says. He has this infectious personality. I think he won some big games, and the recruiting is proof of that.”
Heading into his first early signing period Wednesday, Beamer has South Carolina ranked No. 16 in the country and No. 6 in the SEC, according to the 247Sports Composite. It puts the Gamecocks on pace for their best recruiting finish since the 2012 cycle.
“Even though I understood the decision to hire him (because) fans wanted him, former players wanted him, it was still a little bit of a stretch considering some of the other names that had been mentioned,” Finebaum said. “But it’s no longer a stretch. It’s a big win for South Carolina, and I think it will continue to get better.”
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 4:02 PM.
