Does Spencer Rattler have the tools to meet high expectations in 2021?
College football will now be looking for a national quarterback favorite with the departure of Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson. Who will now land atop the position hierarchy? There is a valid case to be made for Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler. As the 2021 college football season draws closer, endless chatter will commence on the Sooners’ QB1.
Not only is Rattler poised to have an outstanding year in Norman, but is already a favorite candidate to win the Heisman Trophy. Given Lincoln Riley’s recent track record of success with quarterbacks, the talk should not come as a surprise. CBS Sports breaks down the narrative.
“The Heisman chatter already has legs. The redshirt sophomore is the favorite to win the sport’s most prestigious personal honor at +550 per William Hill Sportsbook. Plus money on a favorite is never a bad thing, and Rattler checks all the boxes. He’s a rare player at an important position on what should be a preseason top-five team. In his first year as a starter, Rattler hit 3,000 yards passing (top in the Big 12), 28 touchdowns and seven picks, five of which came in three games at the start of the year.”
As a product of the ‘QBU’ as Oklahoma has come to be known with all three of Rattler’s predecessors either winning the illustrious honor or becoming a runner-up. Those are lofty shoes to fill in Norman.
“The Heisman pedigree is there, too, with Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield each winning the award in 2018 and 2017, respectively, while Jalen Hurts was the runner-up in 2019. All three would be drafted in the first two rounds the following spring with Murray and Mayfield going No. 1 overall.”
Rattler has the pathway to succeed. Not only does he possess Patrick Mahomes-like elusive mobility to make off-platform throws and rare arm talent, but he is the first quarterback to truly be developed by offensive guru, Lincoln Riley. Mayfield, Murray, and Hurts all transferred to OU and Rattler came as a high school recruit. He has a tremendous upside for a young player with the innate characteristics to command the huddle and carve up Big 12 defenses. Rattler has impressive passing stats in his first year as evidence, ranking among some of the best college football quarterbacks.
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With a solid supporting cast returning in 2021- Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, Drake Stoops, Austin Stogner, Jeremiah Hall, Kennedy Brooks, and Eric Gray- the sky is the limit.
Sure, not everything is perfect. There is always room for improvement, especially with a young QB in a leadership role. Rattler struggled early on in the 2020 season against Kansas State, Iowa State, and Texas with costly negative plays. A prime example, after back-to-back turnovers against the Longhorns, Rattler was benched early in the second quarter for a breather. He refocused and came back on fire in the third, with two touchdown drives. Whether it was ball security issues, holding on to the ball too long, or trying to play hero ball and do too much, Rattler has to minimize the mistakes in 2021.
When you have a competitive quarterback that improvises to create big plays outside of the pocket, negatives are bound to accompany the positives. He has all the right tangibles, just needs refinement. With Creed Humphrey, the centerpiece of Oklahoma’s offensive line now in the NFL, the offensive line raises questions. If the unit is solid, OU has one of the most explosive offenses in the works for the upcoming season. It all starts with No. 7, Spencer Rattler. With a high ceiling and desire to up his draft stock, Rattler is gearing up for a stellar campaign.
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