This weekend's Oklahoma vs. South Carolina game will be a personal homecoming for Spencer Rattler, whose college career bridged both programs. Rattler arrives at Williams-Brice Stadium as a NFL rookie with the New Orleans Saints, but his heart is still tied to Columbia. He has shown nothing but support for the Gamecocks since being on the bigger stage in the NFL. Rattlers excitement over the matchup is rooted in his own story. Once a five-star Oklahoma recruit, then benched midseason for Caleb Williams, he transferred to South Carolina, blossomed under Shane Beamer, and helped the Gamecocks to his signature wins. Now, he will watch his old team play in his former home, a full-circle moment he has talked about openly.
In 2021, Rattler was in his third season at Oklahoma and had been the Sooners' starting QB, but midway through the season, head coach Lincoln Riley benched him for true freshman Caleb WIlliams. It was a jarring turn for a player once heralded as the next great OU passer. Rattler called it "disappointing" at the time, but years later, he has embraced it as fate.
“We all have our own paths, and we’ve got to do our best with our own paths,” Rattler said this week. “The past is the past. We’re focused on the present and the future, but yeah, that definitely led me to South Carolina. It was a blessing in disguise that I got to play with the Gamecocks and develop there, get ready for the league.”
That benching in Norman set the stage for Rattler's rebirth in Columbia. He arrived at South Carolina in 2022, reuniting with Shane Beamer, who was an assistant at Oklahoma for part of Rattler’s tenure, and instantly he became the face of the Gamecock offense. In his first season at the help, Rattler threw for 3,026 yards and 18 touchdowns, authoring back-to-back upsets over Tennessee and Clemson. Against Tennessee, he set school records with 438 yards and six touchdowns in what many called the greatest QB performance in South Carolina history.
By 2023, Rattler had matured into a leader who elevated everyone around him. He set program records for competitions (275) and competition percentage (68.9%). He also threw for 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns. Beamer praised his toughness and consistency. Rattler finished his college career with 10,807 passing yards and 77 touchdowns, numbers that place hi among the most prolific passers in Gamecock history.
Off the field, Rattler embraced the culture and community of Columbia. "This place meant everything to me," he said after his final game. "I wanted to be part of the change in this program. I put 110% into it every day." Even after moving to the NFL, his allegiance remains clear. During last season's Oklahoma vs. South Carolina game, as the Gamecocks dominated, Rattler posted a simple #GoCocks tweet.
From a five-star recruit to a humbled transfer from a toxic environment to a team captain who helped redefine South Carolina football, Spencer Rattler's story is a rare one of redemption written across two college football programs and sealed by resilience.
This Saturday's clash between Oklahoma and South Carolina isn't just a matchup of two football teams. For Rattler, it is a personal homecoming, proof that even in the chaos of college football, grace can grow from the bench.