NFL Draft Profile: Spencer Rattler, Quarterback, South Carolina Gamecocks
#7
Pos: QB
Ht: 5116
Wt: 205
DOB: 3/28/2000
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
High School: Pinnacle
Eligibility: 2023
Spencer Rattler
South Carolina Gamecocks
One-Liners:
Spencer Rattler is a special talent at quarterback with great arm talent who only needs to clean up some kinks with his deep accuracy and consistency with his mechanics.
Evaluation:
Rattler is extremely composed in the pocket as he makes reads over the field while dealing with pressure. He has all the arm talent a team could want in their quarterback. He can make any throw on the field with the necessary zip or touch on the pass. He is able to make passes rolling to his left or right without losing any power on the ball. Maintains pinpoint accuracy when throwing on the run. Stays very aware in the pocket to feel pressure and extend plays with his legs. He is a very smart playmaker when scrambling to draw defenders out and get his receivers open or just take it himself. Relatively good decision-maker and doesn’t make a ton of questionable throws into double or triple coverage very often. He has a quickfire release to get the ball out in a hurry in tight window situations. He overthrew a lot of deep balls by a few yards and didn’t give his receiver a chance at the ball. Sometimes he gets a little antsy on his deep passes, sacrificing his footwork and mechanics which goes with his accuracy struggles down the field. Rattler isn’t very dynamic as a runner on designed plays or scrambles for yards. He can be a bit overconfident in his running ability on read-option plays that result in lost yardage. He needs to remain more stable and compact with his mechanics to tune in more consistent downfield accuracy. Spencer Rattler has all the physical tools and arm talent for the making of a franchise quarterback. He is a smart player who makes good decisions at the helm of the Oklahoma offense and will do the same in South Carolina. He still has some finetuning to do with his mechanics in order to make his downfield throws more consistent.
Background:
Hometown is Phoenix, Arizona. A five-star recruit and the consensus top-rated quarterback according to 247Sports. Was selected to the All-American Bowl. Named the MVP at the Elite 11 quarterback competition. Broke the Arizona state records for passing yards (11,083) and passing touchdowns (116). Suffered a minor hip injury in 2020 against Kansas. Major is communication.
Grades
3rd Round
Latest News
Looking to follow in the footsteps of former Sooners quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, current Oklahoma signal-caller Spencer Rattler could be a candidate as the No.1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. “We've really focused this offseason on him physically, improving the way he can move his body, all those things,” Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley stated at Big 12 Media Day. “I think he's taken some steps and him getting full command of our offense and how we want to attack people….It's just a constant journey at that position and he's just on it right now.” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell also praised his development last season. “We know what kind of coach and coaching he’s getting there. It’s exceptional and maybe as good as any quarterback coaching as you’re going to find,” Campbell stated. “And you just saw him gain confidence as the season went, and I think you saw the team rally around his leadership and his confidence.” Added West Virginia Head Coach Neal Brown, “The thing he does that shows up on film... he’s got elite arm talent. He has the unique ability to buy time and create with his feet. He’s a creator and he has great players around him, and that’s not going to change.” After a slow start last season, Rattler finished with 3,031 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 67.5% of his passes in 2021. He is currently the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy Award. (07/15/21)
Quotes:
"I don't worry about Spencer. There may be some outside pressure with him. He's been through the fire before. I saw firsthand how he handled it when he was at Oklahoma and started out 0-2. Never flinched. Continued to get better. There will be some ups, certainly some downs this season. But I have no worry about him from that standpoint and being able to handle it." -- South Carolina HC Shane Beamer on QB Spencer Rattler
