After a Tumultuous 2020, Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler Had a Huge Offseason

Sooner quarterback worked on his body, his movement, his leadership, his rapport with all the new talent — and of course, his NIL opportunities.

In his first season as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback, Spencer Rattler needed time to grow into the enormity of the job.

During the Texas game, he even needed a timeout.

But down the stretch of a disjointed 2020, Rattler found himself, realized his limitations and leaned upon his strengths — and his teammates.

Now, a week into training camp of the 2021 preseason, it seems Rattler has taken the steps necessary for growth after earning MVP honors of the Cotton Bowl.

“I feel like a veteran,” he said, before correcting himself. “I am a veteran.”

Rattler says he approached last year’s offseason and training camp as a competition with Tanner Mordecai. Now, the job belongs to him, and he knows it.

“Not saying I'm not going to be competing,” he said last week. “I’m going to be competing every day with the guys in that room, making everybody better. But yeah, I’m just very comfortable going into (camp) and just focused. Just feel in control.”

Rattler called last season “a curveball with COVID,” and who knows what the next four months could bring on that front? But his experiences from 2020 have better prepared him for whatever comes up.

Coach Lincoln Riley said at Big 12 Media Days that Rattler wasn’t just more mentally prepared to be the Sooners’ starter. He’s also more prepared physically.

“His body is starting to change,” Riley said. “He’s starting to put on more muscle. He’s starting to move a little bit better. He’s more explosive. You hope that shows up from a durability standpoint. Certainly mobility, in and out of the pocket, being a factor in the run game. … He’s already very talented, when he gets out of the pocket, extending plays and all that, if you can increase his ability to do that, then you give him a chance to do the things that he does the very best."

Rattler has elite arm talent, yes, but he also is among a minuscule percentage of quarterbacks who can make good off-schedule throws — running to his left or to his right, stepping up, stepping back, in the air or falling to the ground. Those aren’t cones out there chasing him around, so he’s tried to prepare for moments of improvisation when plays break down.

“I think for that position, it’s big," Riley said. "When you have a guy who is a talented thrower, the more times that he can get himself in different positions to do it, the better he is going to be. That’s been a big focal point here.”

Rattler spent part of his offseason working with his quarterback trainer, Mike Giovando, back home in Arizona. Parts of those workouts focused specifically on Rattler’s being able to move, being able to make accurate throws on the move, and anticipating potential problems in the pocket.

“I’m very confident of what I did this offseason,” Rattler said. “That’s a credit to my strength coaches. Credit too, of course, coach Gio out in Arizona and coach Riley and all these great coaches. But yeah, I definitely took steps in the places I needed to, not just physically but mentally, and I’m very confident and comfortable going into camp.”

Rattler also spent the summer and early stages of training camp building chemistry with his receiver corps and running backs. For example, he’s never played with Tennessee transfer Eric Gray, or LSU transfer Tre Bradford, or extensively with Kennedy Brooks, who opted out of the 2020 season. Among the receivers, he’s still learning about Arkansas transfer Mike Woods and freshman Mario Williams, and is even still establishing a rapport with Jadon Haselwood, who missed almost all of last year with an injury.

“Yeah throughout (7-on-7 sessions during the summer) and routes on air, I’ve been connecting with every single receiver,” Rattler said. “ … They've all been doing a great job this whole summer in seven-ons, making big plays.”

Rattler’s offseason has also included a lot of preparation for and action from the new NIL rules. He’s taken advantage of his opportunities, launching a personalized logo and a branded line of apparel, attending an international autograph convention and making personalized greetings on Cameo.

”It was my dad that mainly did the interview process (to find representation, which he did with Leigh Steinberg's Steinberg Sports and Entertainment and CEO Chris Cabott), and kind of let me focus on football,” he said. “ … And yeah, you know, we did a good job. It was strategic. I just wanted to be authentic and be comfortable with what we did, and I think we ended up with a great group. And it’s been a good month. It’s been a fun month.

But while Rattler says he’s taken on sort of a CEO role, where he’s either approving or nixing ideas that come across his “desk,” so to speak, he also emphasizes that none of the NIL stuff means much if he’s not performing at a high level on the field.

“The focus remains the focus, and that’s ball,” he said. “That’s going to take care of everything else. So I let my group take care of that stuff and I’ll focus on the field.”