It’s official: South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler reveals NFL decision
South Carolina starting quarterback Spencer Rattler has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, he announced Wednesday via social media.
In a lengthy statement, Rattler thanked coach Shane Beamer, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, his teammates, the city of Columbia and “the best fan base in college football each and every weekend.”
“I will be declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft,” Rattler wrote. “This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid and cannot wait for the chance to turn my dream into reality. Forever to Thee!”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks Rattler as the No. 10 quarterback in the upcoming draft, tied with Tulane’s Michael Pratt and behind Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams (No. 1), North Carolina’s Drake Maye (No. 2), Colorado’s Sheduer Sanders (No. 3), LSU’s Jayden Daniels (No. 4), Georgia’s Carson Beck (No. 5), Oregon’s Bo Nix (No. 6), Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy (No. 7) and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8).
Rattler came to South Carolina in 2022 after three years at Oklahoma. He led the Gamecocks to an 8-5 record headlined by historic victories over Tennessee and Clemson. The quarterback threw for 3,026 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with 66.2% completion rate.
This season Rattler was a bright spot during an otherwise turbulent campaign for USC. While the Gamecocks finished with a 5-7 record and missed a bowl, Rattler’s play improved from last year. He ended the season having thrown for 3,186 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions with 68.9% accuracy. That 2023 single-season yardage total ranked third in program history behind Dylan Thompson’s 3,564 (2014) and Todd Ellis’ 3,206 (1987).
His 6,212 career passing yards at USC rank fifth all-time behind Ellis, Steve Taneyhill, Stephen Garcia and Jake Bentley.
Rattler could have stayed and played one more year of college football because of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted student athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Saturday night after South Carolina’s 16-7 season-finale loss to Clemson, he used past tense verbs like “was” and “meant” when reflecting on his career as a Gamecock.
“This place meant everything to me,” Rattler said. “Coming here, in two years and just enjoying every moment: the adversity, the success. I wanted to be a part of change in this program. And I feel like I put 110% effort into it every day.”
The following quarterbacks remain on South Carolina’s roster (listed with their 2024 classes): Luke Doty, redshirt senior; and LaNorris Sellers, redshirt freshman. They’ll be joined by incoming high school signee Dante Reno.
This story was originally published November 29, 2023 at 3:08 PM.
