It’s finally here and time for QB Spencer Rattler to take control of the Gamecock offense
We're closing in on Gameday with just a few days to go, Rattler. “Hopefully I’ll get the anxiety out of the way,” he said, stammering just a smidge. “You know, anxious anxiety. Just fun, ready-to-go vibes. I’m not nervous, just excited. Do you know what I mean? It’s going to be fun.” Rattler’s words albeit a bit jumbled make plenty of sense. After all, it’s been 284 days since he last suited up for Oklahoma during a topsy-turvy final season in Norman. He hasn’t been sacked in a game since a Nov. 13 loss at Baylor, one week prior to his final appearance as a Sooner.As is standard practice for quarterbacks this time of year, Rattler has been on a non-contact regimen since he arrived for spring practices. He joked that it’ll be nice to get hit a time or two early in the season opener. More pressing, though, Saturday should give the first tangible look at what Rattler can bring to a Gamecocks offense in desperate need of stability under center.
“He was just kind of playing football in the spring and trying to learn he was basically just memorizing pictures,” offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said. “In the summer, he did a really nice job of learning the offense. Through camp, he came out on fire.”
There have been glimpses of what he can bring to the offense, but a spring game and scattered media viewing periods during fall camp only offer so much insight.
“Spencer’s probably got the best arm talent I’ve ever seen,” former Oklahoma linebacker Nik Bonitto said at the NFL Scouting Combine in March. “He’s a guy that’s going to compete every day. He’s going to work his butt off.” So what actually should be expected of Rattler in Week 1?
Handicapping the strong-armed gunslinger is difficult, at best. Rattler said he’s not writing an exact number down as to what would indicate offensive success on Saturday. But glancing at his stats over his past two seasons as a starter, though, it suggests he should be efficient. Rattler has played parts of four career games against non-Power Five opponents. He’s combined for 887 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just two interceptions while completing 79.1% of his 86 attempts in those contests.
Rattler entered last season as a preseason Heisman Trophy front-runner and a perceived option for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. His stock may have taken a hit, but Saturday is the first true test. And, make no mistake, that nervous energy Rattler momentarily flashed on Tuesday should be short-lived. “It’s after that first run, that first completion,” he said of when it tends to wear off. “Then I’m just in the zone.” A lot of Gamecocks hopes for a great season ride on the shoulders of Rattler.