Rattler: Former Heisman Candidate battling back
At the end of the 2022 CFB season, it was unclear what would become of vagabond quarterback Spencer Rattler, even to South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer.
Rattler's college career has been eventful, to say the least.
.He was a Heisman Trophy favorite going into the 2021 season at Oklahoma, but lost his job to a guy named Caleb Williams. Yep, the same Caleb Williams who won the Heisman Trophy last season at USC.
Rattler also moved to USC — University of South Carolina — where he had a decent 2022 with an 8-5 record, but it ended with a Gator Bowl loss to Notre Dame, 45-38. Still, that No. 19 AP ranking was South Carolina's best since 2014. Rattler returns for another chance to prove himself, but he will start as the No. 14 quarterback on NFLDraftScout.com's list, somewhere in the 200 overall area.
We fully expect him to move up, perhaps dramatically. And so does Beamer.
“And when I told you guys immediately after the season that I didn’t know, I didn’t know,” Beamer said. “I mean those are the conversations that he and I had, and myself and his dad and his family also. We finished the regular season, we know we have a decision to make, he really was totally focused on the bowl game and trying to beat Notre Dame in that bowl game. We had conversations throughout the month off and on, his family and I and Spencer and I, and then once the bowl game finished I saw his mom and dad and his family as I was literally getting on the bus at the bowl game to go back to the hotel after the game.”
Rattler had just completed his fourth collegiate season, with one year of eligibility left and NFL aspirations looming. But after discussions with Beamer and his own family, he ultimately decided returning to South Carolina for one final season was the right move for him.
“We talked a little bit, had some conversations over the next week but Spencer’s a very mature guy. Very smart guy, unbelievable family, he was going to make the best decision for him and his future and his family,” Beamer said. “Absolutely glad that he decided to come back certainly, he’s a great guy, love being around him, makes our team better, makes our program better in coming back for another season. He’s still young, he’s played a lot of college football but he’s still a young guy and this is the best thing for his future also.”
Along with managing Rattler’s return, Beamer was also tasked with replacing offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, who took the job as Nebraska‘s offensive coordinator following the 2022 season. And Beamer also opened up about how Rattler’s comeback had an impact on the offensive coordinator he’d eventually hire.
“And that was the other part of it too, Spencer’s making a decision on whether to come back while we’re in the process of hiring an offensive coordinator. So certainly I’m trying to make a hire when we hire Dowell Loggains I’m trying to do what I thought was best for our program long term, but I’d be an idiot if I didn’t consider what was best for Spencer Rattler and how well Spencer could potentially mesh with our new coordinator,” Beamer explained.
Loggains ultimately brought the combination of an NFL and collegiate coaching success that will set up Rattler for success in his final season in Columbia and beyond, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his final season under a new OC.
“So certainly Dowell’s background in the NFL helps with Spencer, Dowell’s coached quarterbacks in the NFL his entire career, so that helps with Spencer also,” Beamer said. “But then what Dowell has been able to do at the University of Arkansas and being exposed to that offense along with his time in the NFL I think will really benefit Spencer in our offense, in general being able to mesh all that.”
Here is a look at NFLDraftScout.com's QB ratings heading into 2023 Season
RANK FULL NAME SCHOOL POS POS. RNK HEIGHT WEIGHT CLASS 40 TIME PROJ RD
1 Caleb Williams USC QB 1 6005 220 Jr 4.48 1
3 Drake Maye North Carolina QB 2 6043 225 rSo 4.62 1
10 Quinn Ewers Texas QB 3 6021 204 rSo 4.76 1
33 Riley Leonard Duke QB 4 6035 209 Jr 4.54 1-2
84 Joe Milton III Tennessee QB 5 6045 242 rSr 4.65 3
111 Bo Nix Oregon QB 6 6016 218 rSr 4.62 3-4
115 Jordan Travis Florida State QB 7 6005 212 rSr 4.54 3-4
130 Michael Pratt Tulane QB 8 6025 220 Sr 4.7 4
135 Michael Penix Jr. Washington QB 9 6025 216 rSr 4.64 4
159 Devin Leary Kentucky QB 10 6012 217 rSr 4.78 4-5
162 Jayden Daniels LSU QB 11 6036 205 rSr 4.52 5
173 Austin Reed Western Kentucky QB 12 6005 230 rSr 4.78 5
196 KJ Jefferson Arkansas QB 13 6025 246 rSr 4.76 5-6
224 Spencer Rattler South Carolina QB 14 6005 218 rSr 4.74 6-7
231 Sam Hartman Notre Dame QB 15 6005 210 rSr 4.76 6-7
247 Cameron Rising Utah QB 16 6015 215 rSr 4.64 7
271 Will Rogers Mississippi State QB 17 6021 210 Sr 4.84 7-HPFA
281 Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB 18 6022 215 rSr 4.67 7-HPFA
289 Kurtis Rourke Ohio QB 19 6045 216 rSr 4.73 7-HPFA
300 Phil Jurkovec Pittsburgh QB 20 6052 235 rSr 4.72 7-HPFA