Hype for Gamecocks QB Spencer Rattler is real, former opponents and teammates say
Nebraska linebacker JoJo Domann cracks a smile that stretches from ear to ear.
Domann is walking through the ballroom on the south side of the Indianapolis Convention Center. He’s just hours away from beginning workouts at the NFL Combine. An impressive day could continue his recent rise up draft boards.
But it’s a question about former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler and a 23-16 Cornhuskers loss on Sept. 18 that has him smirking.
“We were trying to rattle Mr. Rattler and talk s— and get a good lick on him whenever we got close to him.” Domann quipped in reference to the recent South Carolina import. “I sure as hell tried.”
Rattler’s 2021 season was a roller coaster of emotions and headlines. He began the year as a Heisman Trophy favorite and concluded it backing up five-star freshman passer Caleb Williams.
Now in Columbia, Rattler has rekindled those sky-high expectations folks in Norman first summoned a season ago. Those who played with him at Oklahoma or against the Sooners over the last two years argue the hype is real.
“We had high expectations for him,” former OU H-back Jeremiah Hall said. “But I think he handed it well and he just happened to have Caleb Williams behind him. I think he’ll do great at South Carolina.”
Rattler arrived at Oklahoma as the latest in a recent line of quarterback royalty. 247Sports rated him a five-star recruit and the No. 1 quarterback in the 2019 class. National pundits tabbed Rattler as the heir to the signal-caller throne in Norman that previously belonged to Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.
His play largely backed up the hype, at least early on. He finished his first year as a starter with over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
The Sooners scored 62 points in wins against Kansas and Texas Tech. They topped 50 in shootout victories over arch-rival Texas and No. 10 Florida in the Cotton Bowl.
The bowl win offered a look at the surgical nature of Rattler’s brilliance. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns. His legs carried him to another 40 yards and a score on seven carries in a 55-20 throttling of Dan Mullen’s Gators.
“Spencer, he came to play that night,” former Florida defensive lineman Zach Carter said. “Now he’s in the SEC, so I’m excited to see what he’s going to do in the SEC this year.”
The 2021 season was supposed to bring more of the same, but Rattler grew increasingly unpredictable in his second season guiding the Sooners’ offense.
He completed 30 of 39 passes in a season-opening, 40-35 win over Tulane. That mitigated the pair of interceptions Rattler tossed to a Green Wave team that ranked 101st of 130 FBS programs in total defense by year’s end.
His completion percentage remained elite. He connected on 74.5% of his passes over Oklahoma’s first six games. Yet, rumblings of Williams’ ability and a 2-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio for Rattler over that span brought ample scrutiny.
The issues came to a head when the Sooners narrowly escaped West Virginia 16-13 in a Sept. 25 meeting in Norman. Rattler was booed by his own fans, causing increasing stir over whether Williams might replace him.
One week later, the former five-star prospect started 8 of 15 passing for 111 yards and an interception against Texas. Head coach Lincoln Riley handed the reins to Williams, who never relented.
“I don’t worry about that at all,” Rattler told ESPN’s Holly Rowe of the boos after the WVU game. “I don’t listen to ‘em. They’re not on the field.”
That Rattler’s coronation flew off the tracks by season’s end, though, hasn’t diminished the public support his former Oklahoma teammates offered at the NFL Scouting Combine the past week.
Ex-Sooners right tackle Tyrese Robinson lauded the pairing of Rattler and fellow Oklahoma transfer tight end Austin Stogner with South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, who spent three years on staff in Norman before landing the head coaching job in Columbia.
Former OU guard Marquis Hayes noted he can’t wait for Rattler and Stogner to put their chemistry and ability on film. Both, he said, bring their own elite levels of potential. South Carolina stands to be a direct beneficiary.
“Spencer’s probably got the best arm talent I’ve ever seen,” Sooners linebacker Nik Bonitto added. “He’s a guy that’s going to compete every day. He’s going to work his butt off and I’m really excited for both of those guys (Rattler and Stogner).”
Oklahoma sent 11 players to the NFL combine this year. Rattler, too, was in Indianapolis for the NCAA’s Elite Student-Athlete Symposium — a pseudo-secret, invite-only crash course in navigating the financial side of professional football hosted by college sports’ governing body.
He’ll almost certainly be invited to the annual scouting event next year if all goes to plan in Columbia. If that happens, there will be plenty of defenders and teammates with stories of Rattler torching SEC defenses to tell.
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
