South Carolina football is 1 of just 40 schools to have had a player win the Heisman Trophy. In 1980, running back George Rogers was college football’s premier player. Today, South Carolina fans wonder if another player on their roster could somehow pull off the improbable. According to Bet Online, Gamecock quarterback Spencer Rattler has the country’s 15th-best odds of winning the award in 2023 at +4000.
Spencer Rattler is, without question, one of the most talented players in college football. His on-field production has not always matched his considerable potential, however. Once the top high school quarterback in the land, Rattler can make throws that only a handful of players on the planet can make. Throws like this one against Notre Dame, or like this one against Vanderbilt, or like this one against Tennessee showcase his incredible arm talent.
Unfortunately for Rattler, he has had some struggles in his career, and that seemingly continued in his first season as a Gamecock. As the 2022 season wore on, it became apparent, though, that the issue wasn’t with Rattler after all, as there was a disconnect between (now former) Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield’s system and his gifted quarterback. Most of the offense seemed to share that disconnection from Satterfield and his offense, and he and the school parted ways after the season.
For Rattler, the final few games of 2022 were different. Rumors circulated around Columbia that something was going to be different with play calling heading into the matchup with playoff-bound Tennessee. Head Coach Shane Beamer has denied that any duties shifted during this time, but something was different as Rattler and the offense were much better down the stretch, especially in the 63-38 destruction of Tennessee’s national championship hopes.
With Satterfield out of the picture and Rattler’s favorite target returning in Juice Wells, South Carolina fans are hoping to be partying like it’s 1980 after Spencer Rattler leads the Gamecocks up another rung of the college football ladder.