South Carolina Football: After months of disrespect, Spencer Rattler is finally getting the praise he deserves

South Carolina football quarterback Spencer Rattler has been in the public eye for a long time. Some poor interpersonal skills as a teenager (with, unfortunately, the whole country watching him on a Netflix show) and one bad game at Oklahoma led many college football fans to dismiss Rattler as a talented player who would never “figure it out.”

When things started to click for #7 at the end of last season, most analysts and college football media types were hesitant to believe that Rattler had fully turned the corner. Unfair questions about his maturity level and lazy takes about his on-field decision-making were still the main talking points surrounding the Gamecock signal-caller.

Through one-third of the 2023 college football season, Spencer Rattler has forced the country to rethink their opinions.

A dominant first month has been somewhat underhyped because South Carolina football is just 2-2 on the year, but losses to North Carolina in Charlotte and Georgia in Athens are not bad defeats. Rattler’s numbers are downright ridiculous both in the wins and the losses.

The two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week ranks in the top-10 nationally in passing yards despite playing in the same offense as one of the worst running games in college football this season and despite taking more sacks than any other quarterback in the SEC and being pressured more than all but six quarterbacks in the country.

Rattler’s receivers, while playing very well for most of the season, have struggled a bit with drops, but he still has completed 75% of his passes on the year.

Assuming the Gamecocks make a bowl game, Rattler is one pace to break the South Carolina football record for single-season passing yards. Doing so would put him in the top-5 all-time in career passing yards for garnet and black gunslingers, an amazing feat considering that he will have only played two seasons in Columbia.

The respect that Spencer Rattler deserves is starting to come his way.

247Sports’ Clint Brewster has finally moved Rattler into his weekly top-10 quarterback rankings. Rattler debuted on the list at #9. Brewster also has Rattler as the SEC’s QB1.

Brewster’s colleague Brad Crawford, in an appearance on Paul Finebaum’s daily show, called Rattler the top quarterback in the conference, as well.

Even Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was extremely complimentary of Rattler. When speaking about facing Rattler and the Gamecocks this weekend, Heupel said that Tennessee will have to do “a great job” at all three levels of the defense to have any chance at slowing down “a really good football player” on Saturday night.

Spencer Rattler and his South Carolina football team will travel to Knoxville looking to replicate their 2022 success against the Volunteers. The Gamecocks won last year’s game 63-38, and Rattler set a Carolina record with 6 touchdown passes.