Spencer Rattler's Journey to Being A Top SEC Quarterback

The South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback, Spencer Rattler, has had a long journey to becoming a top QB in the SEC. Where has this journey taken him?

Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, AZ, has been the home of future elite college quarterback prospects. J.D. Johnson, Brian Lewerke, and Dylan Raiola have all walked the halls of Pinnacle. But one quarterback in particular stood out in his time there. South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler began his journey there on his way to being one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC. 

His name was brought to the media forefront when Netflix's series "QB1: Beyond the Lights" featured him and two other quarterbacks in Season Three of their hit series. According to Maxpreps.com, Rattler led this Pinnacle team to back-to-back conference titles leading up to this season while throwing for 9,220 yards and 93 touchdowns. Going into his senior season, Rattler was looking to keep up the same pace while he was on his way to Oklahoma but had to serve a suspension that ended his season and paved the way for future Michigan QB Johnson to take over. 

Rattler was finally on his way to play for Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and QB Jalen Hurts, who had just transferred from Alabama. He was redshirted that season and was awarded the starting job the following year. His time as a starter was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. First, let's highlight the good from that time. Rattler helped lead the Sooners to a Big 12 Championship win and a Cotton Bowl win, where he was awarded the MVP. But, while he threw for over 3,000 yards that season, the game against No. 22 Texas was wild. When Rattler was benched in the first half, then came back in the second half to lead a 4-overtime win with a final score of 53-45, his redshirt sophomore year ensued more chaos. 

After starting the season with a 1-2 record and losing two conference games to Kansas State and Iowa State, the No. 6 ranked Sooners faced the No. 21 ranked Texas Longhorns in their annual rivalry, which saw Spencer Rattler start the game. He turned the ball over twice to help Texas grow their lead to 35-17, and it looked as if it were going to be a third straight conference loss for the Sooners. The No. 1 recruit from the 2021 class, QB Caleb Williams, then entered the game to replace Rattler and led an impressive comeback to win the game 55-48. Williams held on to that spot for the remainder of the season. Then Rattler departed for South Carolina, and Riley and Williams left for USC. But, the Lincoln Riley connection still lies at South Carolina when their head coach, Shane Beamer, was Riley's assistant for Rattler's first two years at Oklahoma. 

South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) passes against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Though his time at Oklahoma may not have been the best experience, Rattler was showing improvement heading into year two as the starter. In his first season, Rattler threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 67.5 completion percentage. Though his stats decreased in year two because he was benched, his completion percentage went up to 75%. His time at South Carolina has seen similar success. In his first year at S.C., Rattler tossed the pigskin for 3,026 yards, 18 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 66.2 completion percentage. But, one team in particular has given Rattler the most trouble: the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Stat of the day:

Spencer Rattler vs. UGA: 52% comp, 118 passing yards, 0 TDs, 2 INT

Spencer Rattler in every other start: 73.3 comp rate, 263 yards, 2 TDs, 0.7 INT

UGA is the only program to have held Rattler to less than 150 passing yards in a start.

— Jonathan Williams (@Dr_JWill) September 13, 2023

UGA is one of the only programs to hold him under 150 passing yards in a game, aside from when he got benched against Texas in 2021 and when the Gamecocks lost to Florida last season. The game against Georgia last season was the lowest passing yardage game of his career, when he played the entire game, throwing for a mere 118 yards and two interceptions. This year, it seems Rattler has a different edge to him. In each season where he was the starter, the first two games of the season included one 300-plus yard passing game, while the other game was sub-300 yards; this season, though the first two games, he threw for about 350 yards a game, which is only usual for one game the previous seasons. 

The former 5-star's path has now brought him to the center stage in the SEC. This weekend, Rattler will have one of the best opportunities to put his name back in the conversation as one of the best draft prospects in his class. In his final season, he has something to prove and wants to mark the Bulldogs as his first victim of the season.