Spencer Rattler can he take the Gamecocks to the next level
August 07. 2022
Rattle was a preseason Heisman Trophy contender a year ago who lost his starting job and rather unexpectedly if we’re putting it lightly landed at South Carolina. That’s the short version. The complexities in Rattler’s larger national perception are due to perceived baggage that predates last fall. His appearance on Netflix’s “QB1: Beyond the Lights” painted him in a poor light as a high school prospect after he was, among other things, suspended for violating a district code of conduct that made him ineligible for the rest of the season depicted in the show. Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer has dismissed the Netflix version of his star quarterback as a young man growing up. Levis said he respects how Rattler has matured since his days being plastered on televisions around the country as a high schooler.
Rattler’s teammates, new and old, at South Carolina, echoed similar sentiments. Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. said “I don’t know where they got bad from. “He was younger and in high school. You’re growing up. I probably did that stuff in high school especially if you’ve got a fat camera on you all the time.” “He’s always been the number one quarterback in the country since he was like a freshman in high school, so people always assume that since you’ve got that status you’re going to be a bad guy,” said tight end Austin Stogner, who transferred to South Carolina from OU with Rattler. “He’s seriously a great guy and really down to earth. Ask anyone around here what they think of Spencer and it’s the polar opposite of what the media tries to (say).”
Rattler asked why he thinks people have the perception they do about him, smirked Thursday and threw up his arms. Laughs erupted around him. The moment was innocent, almost jovial. It’s part of what makes the outside thoughts on the newest Gamecock quarterback at least on paper so confounding. Spend just a few minutes around Rattler, and you can see why players gravitate toward him. He’s charismatic and confident. He answers questions with thought and intrigue. He’s legitimately funny, cracking jokes about beating offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield on the golf course this summer.
Rattler, for all intents and purposes, is under a microscope in 2022. Playmaking responsibility will fall on other pieces of South Carolina’s seemingly revitalized offense, but the junior quarterback is the engine that will make this unit go. Questions will persist about Rattler well into the season. Good, bad, or middling, his play is going to be a focal point for talking heads in the Palmetto State and nationwide. Right now, though, Rattler is saying and doing all the right things at South Carolina
August 07. 2022
Rattle was a preseason Heisman Trophy contender a year ago who lost his starting job and rather unexpectedly if we’re putting it lightly landed at South Carolina. That’s the short version. The complexities in Rattler’s larger national perception are due to perceived baggage that predates last fall. His appearance on Netflix’s “QB1: Beyond the Lights” painted him in a poor light as a high school prospect after he was, among other things, suspended for violating a district code of conduct that made him ineligible for the rest of the season depicted in the show. Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer has dismissed the Netflix version of his star quarterback as a young man growing up. Levis said he respects how Rattler has matured since his days being plastered on televisions around the country as a high schooler.
Rattler’s teammates, new and old, at South Carolina, echoed similar sentiments. Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. said “I don’t know where they got bad from. “He was younger and in high school. You’re growing up. I probably did that stuff in high school especially if you’ve got a fat camera on you all the time.” “He’s always been the number one quarterback in the country since he was like a freshman in high school, so people always assume that since you’ve got that status you’re going to be a bad guy,” said tight end Austin Stogner, who transferred to South Carolina from OU with Rattler. “He’s seriously a great guy and really down to earth. Ask anyone around here what they think of Spencer and it’s the polar opposite of what the media tries to (say).”
Rattler asked why he thinks people have the perception they do about him, smirked Thursday and threw up his arms. Laughs erupted around him. The moment was innocent, almost jovial. It’s part of what makes the outside thoughts on the newest Gamecock quarterback at least on paper so confounding. Spend just a few minutes around Rattler, and you can see why players gravitate toward him. He’s charismatic and confident. He answers questions with thought and intrigue. He’s legitimately funny, cracking jokes about beating offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield on the golf course this summer.
Rattler, for all intents and purposes, is under a microscope in 2022. Playmaking responsibility will fall on other pieces of South Carolina’s seemingly revitalized offense, but the junior quarterback is the engine that will make this unit go. Questions will persist about Rattler well into the season. Good, bad, or middling, his play is going to be a focal point for talking heads in the Palmetto State and nationwide. Right now, though, Rattler is saying and doing all the right things at South Carolina
