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Spencer Rattler to Transfer to South Carolina After 3 Seasons at Oklahoma
December 14, 2021
Former University of Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler announced Monday that he's transferring to South Carolina.
Former Oklahoma tight end Austin Stogner also announced that he's going to the Gamecocks.
Rattler entered the NCAA transfer portal in late November to explore his options after the Sooners benched him in favor of freshman Caleb Williams.
The 21-year-old entered the 2021 season with Heisman Trophy-level expectations after an impressive redshirt freshman campaign in 2020. He was voted first-team All-Big 12 after completing 67.5 percent of his throws for 3,031 yards with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions across 11 games. He also tallied six rushing scores.
Aside from a five-touchdown performance against an overmatched Western Carolina squad early in the season, Rattler wasn't able to match that level of play as a sophomore. He was replaced by Williams during a 55-48 win over Texas and never reclaimed the starting role.
The Phoenix native still completed an impressive 74.9 percent of his attempts in nine appearances, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio dropped off considerably (11-5).
Mike Giovando, Rattler's longtime quarterback coach, told Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic in November that the signal-caller wanted to take his time assessing the situation before deciding his next step:
"Whether or not we declare for the draft or find another school remains to be seen. We just want to keep getting feedback from where he may fall in the draft. And his number one goal is to be a first-round pick one day, so he will do what's best in the end so he can achieve that goal."
Rattler ultimately decided to play at least one more college season at South Carolina. It's probably the right decision since his potential draft position could have varied greatly depending on how he performed during the predraft process. He wasn't a first-round lock based on the 2021 season.
He also has an opportunity to impress against SEC defenses, which could make an even bigger impression on NFL scouts.