‘It’s huge.’ South Carolina’s Shane Beamer makes first comments on Spencer Rattler
For the first time since South Carolina shook the college football world with the signing of transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler, head coach Shane Beamer was able to speak publicly on the move.
Speaking with College Sports Today on ESPNU Radio on Wednesday afternoon, Beamer shared the excitement of landing Rattler, a transfer QB from Oklahoma, along with Sooners tight end Austin Stogner.
Beamer got to know Rattler while he was an assistant coach on Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma staff.
“I think it’s huge,” Beamer said. “I know it’s huge. One, because of the kind of player he is. I was around him at Oklahoma. I know what kind of player he is and what kind of person he is, and I’m excited about adding him to our roster. But then just his name and the reputation he has and the excitement and buzz it generated for South Carolina football was amazing.”
Rattler and Stogner both announced their commitments to the Gamecocks late Monday night before officially signing financial aid agreements on Tuesday night — the eve of college football’s early signing period.
Beamer said the news of Rattler’s signing energized the team’s recruits.
“The news comes out a couple nights ago ... and immediately the amount of recruits that were texting me about it, normally it’s me communicating with them through text and FaceTime — but they’re hitting me up about their excitement that Spencer Rattler is coming here,” Beamer said. “I think it makes a great statement about what this program’s about. Spencer could’ve gone anywhere in the country and chose to come here for his 2022 season of football.”
With the move, starting USC quarterback Jason Brown announced via social media that he would enter the transfer portal. After transferring from St. Francis in Pennsylvania this offseason, Brown opened the season as USC’s third-string quarterback but moved up the pecking order after injuries to Luke Doty and Zeb Noland.
However, Rattler’s signing didn’t dissuade four-star quarterback recruit Braden Davis from affirming his commitment, as his signing was the first USC announced on Wednesday morning.
Beamer is expected to speak more about Rattler when he meets with the local media at 4 p.m. and in various other national interviews Wednesday.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 3:29 PM.
