SEC Football: 3 quarterbacks with most to prove during 2022 season
2. South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler
In 2020, as a redshirt freshman, Spencer Rattler started every game for Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners.
And while it wasn’t without its ups and downs, the highly anticipated Rattler played well and looked to build off of a Big 12 Championship and Cotton Bowl appearance.
Expectations were sky high for 2021, after throwing 28 touchdowns to 7 interceptions to go along with some great moments such as a 4OT win over Texas in the Red River Showdown.
But in the first 6 games, despite not losing, Rattler struggled in the same ways he did the year prior and was benched for backup quarterback Caleb Williams.
In those first 6 games of the 2021 season, Rattler threw 11 touchdowns to 5 interceptions and didn’t look like the Heisman candidate many predicted he would be.
He was benched against Texas after fumbling with Oklahoma down 11 points in the second quarter. Williams energized the Sooners with a 55-48 comeback win and never looked back.
On December 13, 2021, Rattler announced that he would transfer to the University of South Carolina.
Rattler now joins a Gamecock team that brings back 15 starters, one of the most in the SEC. It will most likely be his last chance to recapture his former glory and make his case for the NFL.
He’s got plenty of pressure and expectations going into the fall.
The Gamecocks overachieved last year in Shane Beamer’s first year. They finished the season with a winning record and beat North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl when most people didn’t expect them to even make a bowl game.
South Carolina, with the addition of Rattler, who is 15-2 as a starter, have serious expectations to make some noise in the SEC.
But while the fit is perfect, the situation is challenging because South Carolina will need Rattler to lead a below average offense that is competing against vaunting SEC defenses.
South Carolina, despite returning multiple offensive starters, will ask Rattler to transform their offense that ranked 95th in passing (201.2 yards per game) and 104th in scoring (22.6 points per game).
He joins a program that is looking to do big things under Coach Beamer despite not being nationally relevant since 2013.
If Rattler can bring them back to prominence then he’ll be right back on the track he was on in 2020. If he doesn’t, then he could get lost among the pack of star SEC Football quarterbacks.
One thing is for sure though. Rattler is unequivocally South Carolina’s guy at QB. Whatever good happens for them, Rattler will receive the bulk of the credit. Whatever bad happens, he’ll receive the lion-share of the blame.
