South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler may be somewhat of a polarizing prospect due to his smallish frame and ball-security concerns vs. plus passing traits and mobility.
Rattler redshirted his true freshman year before gaining a starting opportunity in 2020 when he looked every bit the part of the respected recruit.
After coming out of high school as a highly touted recruit who went to Oklahoma for three years before losing his job to presumed No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, Rattler transferred to play for the Gamecocks and never quite recaptured his a first-year starter magic.
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 211 pounds
40 time: 4.95 seconds
His expected placement ranges a good amount among pundits, though he’s likely to come off the board inside of the top 100 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.
A third-round grade is fair given the balance of his positives in relation to deficiencies. The Oklahoma connection aside, Rattler draws a fair comparison to Baker Mayfield. Brock Purdy also comes to mind, but the prospect has a stronger arm than the San Francisco starter.
Table: QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (2019-23)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
- Legit arm talent — put on the 2023 Florida game if you have doubts. Also reference the first-quarter boundary throw to Xavier Legette against North Carolina last year and/or their TD connection vs. Notre Dame in 2022, or the rollout pass vs. Furman in the late second quarter last year
- Nimble and fluid movement skills both in the pocket and open field. Functional escapability with his legs — not going to blow anyone away with Michael Vick-like run but is plenty capable of creating yardage, rolling out, and buying time
- Pretty good touch and ball placement on the ball at all levels — this is occasionally evident when he’s under pressure (see the touch pass to Trey Knox vs. Texas A&M in the third quarter)
- Experience in multiple offensive schemes — has taken snaps from shotgun, under center, and in pistol for RPO plays
- Displayed on-field mechanical improvement throughout his collegiate career, despite his passing stats falling off after 2020
- Took a lot of snaps (1,313) and played in 48 games
- Unafraid to take a bit hit if hanging in there means he can deliver a pass to an uncovering target
- Went from being one of the top prospects to losing his job and transferred, handling the adversity well enough
Cons
- Footwork needs to be addressed — while he’s comfortable throwing off platform, falling away, etc., he’ll find it much tougher to get away with this in the NFL
- Lacks prototypical size, which will turn off some scouts and may pigeonhole him into certain offensive designs
- Rhythm-based passer when he’s at his best
- Needs to better balance his gunslinging nature with protecting the ball — decision-making issues plagued him at times and ultimately have depressed Rattler’s draft stock
- Too often locks his eyes on the first read — at a minimum, he’s too slow when surveying the field
Fantasy football outlook
It’s unlikely Rattler will be drafted into a situation that permits him to compete as a rookie for a starting job, but he has the aerial talent and mobility to develop into a fantasy starter in time. There’s midrange QB1 potential if he finds a suitable home, and that’s about as specific as anyone can get when predicting his eventual worth without knowing the landing spot.
