South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler is a popular name in NFL Draft discussions. Barring the unforeseen, Rattler will be just the third Gamecock QB ever selected in the draft and the first selected in the modern draft format of seven rounds. How high he should be taken is a subject without consensus, however.
Rattler was a 5-star quarterback prospect out of high school and had a fast start at Oklahoma that led him to consideration as one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy in 2021.
Rattler was still playing well in 2021 when he was benched in favor of Caleb Williams. He had thrown for better than a 70% completion percentage every game of the season until the Texas contest and had 10 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. Because Williams was excellent, though, a narrative was created that Rattler’s overall good play was actually subpar.
A tough start to his South Carolina football career in offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield’s system didn’t help those rumblings, but after Rattler’s big turnaround to finish the 2022 campaign, it has become clear that the Marcus Satterfield-Spencer Rattler fit was a much bigger issue than the quarterback, himself. The scheme for much of last fall did not do any favors for the talented signal caller.
A deeper look into Rattler’s film shows the truth, and former NFL scout Daniel Kelly has become one of the leading national voices advocating for #7 as readies for a final season with the Gamecocks under new offensive coordinator (and former NFL OC) Dowell Loggains.
In an article he wrote Monday, Kelly argued for Spencer Rattler to be considered the “QB1” for the 2024 NFL Draft. The comparisons to Brett Favre, Kelly says, are fairly obvious. Like Favre, Rattler is a gunslinger who trusts his arm and is willing to run around like a madman in order to make a play.
Sometimes that style of play pays off with incredible plays like this one against Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl (props to Xavier Legette for the catch, as well):
Other times, that confidence and aggressiveness leads to turnovers like this one against Georgia when he had too much faith in his arm and tried to make a long throw off his back foot:
The reality of projecting Spencer Rattler’s future is that one has to decide if he can play within himself and limit the mistakes. The ability should not be a question as he has some of the best arm talent in the country.
Heading into Rattler’s final season in college, Kelly has the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback ranked as his top quarterback in the draft. In fact, he says that Rattler’s film is his favorite film of any quarterback in the 2021, 2022, 2023, or 2024 NFL Draft.
Rattler’s stat line against Tennessee (30-37 for 470 total yards, 6 touchdowns, and 0 turnovers) shows what he is capable of when he is at his best. While that should not be viewed as a standard by which any quarterback should be held, it demonstrates just how tantalizing Rattler is as a prospect.
Like Favre, Spencer Rattler will always be somewhat of an anxiety-inducing gunslinger. It’s part of what makes him who he is. The confidence and bravado needed to make the throws that he makes will also get him in trouble at times (Favre won three MVPs but also led the NFL in interceptions three times).
The 2023 season will be a big one for quarterback evaluations as Rattler is part of a large group of players who hold wide-ranging projections for where they may be selected in next April’s draft. Players like Tennessee’s Joe Milton, Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams (yes, the same Caleb Williams that replaced Rattler at Oklahoma), and Texas’ Quinn Ewers are all polarizing prospects.
That polarization is part of what will make the 2023 college football season (and Spencer Rattler) must-watch television this fall.
Rattler and the Gamecocks will kick off their season on September 2nd against fellow top quarterback prospect Drake Maye and the North Carolina Tar Heels with College GameDay in town.