Tag: Spencer Rattler South Carolina

2024 NFL Draft: South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler scouting report

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler overcame the NCAA’s worst protection in 2023 to avail himself as a starting NFL prospect in the right offense.

A consensus five-star recruit out of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona, Spencer Rattler was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in 2019, and he chose Oklahoma over just about every other program. He transferred to South Carolina in 2022 after losing the starting job for the Sooners to Caleb Williams in 2021, and after one average season for the Gamecocks, Rattler came around in 2023… or, he came around as much as his offensive line would let him.

With perhaps the NCAA’s worst protection last season, the 6′ 0¼”, 211-pound Rattler still completed 274 of 403 passes for 3,183 yards, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 99.1.

Evaluating Rattler as an NFL prospect is a bit of a struggle, because South Carolina’s passing game was pretty dysfunctional, but there’s enough on tape to see him as a credible starter in the right offense.

PLUSES

— Operated behind what was likely the NCAA’s worst offensive line and was still responsible for a lot of structured explosive plays.

— Pocket movement is a plus attribute; Rattler is very good at staying in the boxing ring and moving away from pressure. Bailing out of the pocket isn’t his default. He’ll also stand and deliver in the pocket when he’s about to get walloped.

— Natural move quarterback who quickly gets his body turned to the target, which allows him to stay on point with his mechanics and boots and scrambles.

— Has the arm to throw comfortably to all levels of the field. It’s not a Howitzer, but it’s not a weakness, either.

— Unafraid to throw downfield into tight windows, and has the touch and velocity to do so.

— Has a lot on the ball as a runner, both in designed concepts and when things do break down. Forced 15 missed tackles on 28 rushing attempts last season.

MINUSES

— Rattler is more of a “see it and throw it” guy than a true anticipation thrower; you’d like to see more instances where he throws his target open.

— Most of Rattler’s pressures and sacks were on his line, but if he could speed up his internal clock just a hair, it would help.

— Has stretches of “Bad Russell Wilson” where he’ll just hold onto the ball, and you’re yelling at the screen for him to get the dang thing out.

— Has a tendency to throw interceptions that are more “WTF” throws by Rattler than specifically heroic efforts by the defenders. His downfield vision aligns with his throw timing and can be a tick late.

There is a rogue element to Rattler’s play that very much brings Baker Mayfield to mind, and it would likely be more effective behind an offensive line that wasn’t actively participating in his demise. If you’re stuck in the group that has him as a third-day pick, I get it, but the more you watch him, the more you tend to like him and his NFL potential.

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

What can we expect at the next level from the talented but limited QB?

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)

Year Tm Class Gm Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Att Yds Avg TD
*2019 Okla. Fr 3 7 11 63.6 81 7.4 1 0 3 23 7.7 0
*2020 Okla. rFr 11 214 317 67.5 3,031 9.6 28 7 81 160 2.0 6
*2021 Okla. rSo 9 140 187 74.9 1,483 7.9 11 5 43 77 1.8 3
*2022 S Car. rJr 13 264 399 66.2 30,26 7.6 18 12 73 46 0.6 3
2023 S Car. rSr 12 275 399 68.9 3,186 8.0 19 8 97 104 1.1 4
Total 48 900 1,313 68.5 10,807 8.2 77 32 297 410 1.4 16

*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

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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.