The end of Spencer Rattler’s time at Oklahoma was expected. After being benched for the second straight year in the Red River Showdown for Caleb Williams, the transfer portal was the most likely destination for the former starting quarterback.
Rattler, along with much of the offense, was inconsistent through the first few weeks of the season. Rattler became the target of fan frustrations in their win 16-13 win over West Virginia when select fans in the student section began chanting “we want Caleb.”
Rattler stayed the starter but former Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley had a leash on his starter and pulled him after two turnovers in the first half of the Red River Showdown. Williams would come into the game and the rest was history.
Rattler would see playing time in the second half against Texas and Texas Tech, but the writing was on the wall for the former No. 1 quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class.
In a conversation with ESPN’s Chris Low, Rattler spent sometime discussing the things that went on during the 2021 season and his journey to South Carolina. Hooking up with former OU assistant turned Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer, Rattler shared his excitement to go somewhere he could be a part of building something.
“I was blown away, and knowing Coach Beamer from when he was an assistant at Oklahoma and the way he rides with his players, I knew I could trust him,” Rattler told Chris Low of ESPN. “South Carolina had everything I was looking for, and I feel like it’s more impressive if you go to a school that’s coming up and do it there, with great teammates around you, than to go somewhere like Alabama and win games. You can just feel it here, this community, this city, these fans. We’re on the rise.”
Landing with Coach Beamer at South Carolina was the perfect landing spot for Rattler. South Carolina will serve as a second chance for Rattler.
“A lot of guys don’t get another chance, to start over where they’re really wanted,” Rattler said. “I was just happy to get away from a toxic situation and get somewhere new. Anywhere was going to be better, and I found the right place.”
Rattler wouldn’t go into detail about how all that went down, but it’s clear he and fellow former Sooner-turned-Gamecock Austin Stogner were bothered by some of the reactions on social media or in the stands.
It’s difficult to infer exactly what Rattler means when he describes a “toxic situation.” He could mean his relationship with Riley or the Oklahoma fanbase or both. He could be talking about the guy who benched him in back to back Red River Showdown games. Or he could be talking about a fan base that turned on him when a potential replacement was waiting in the wings.
While Rattler’s play could have been better, as the season wore on, especially against Baylor, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State, it was clear that quarterback wasn’t the only issue plaguing the Sooners offense. Namely the playcalling wasn’t as good as it could have been as their head coach was scoping other opportunities.
Caleb Williams struggled as well against quality defenses and the Sooners lost two out of three to close out the season.
Rattler who was expected to contend for the Heisman and was the presumed first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft prior to the 2021 season, has a chance to restore his reputation that took a hit last season.
A solid season for the up and coming Gamecocks in the SEC would put Rattler in a great spot ahead of the 2023 draft cycle.
It’s wild how quickly things can change in the college football world. A year ago, the Sooners were lauded for having the best offensive mind and best quarterback situation in college football. Fast forward to 2022 and the Sooners are marching out another brilliant offensive mind and a quarterback that may not have the hype that the Sooners last two starting quarterbacks came with, but has the history of production to be a star for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022.
Like it is with Oklahoma and their turnover, Spencer Rattler and Austin Stogner’s 2022 in South Carolina will be a fascinating storyline to follow this fall.
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