Following in the footsteps of many predecessors that have won the Heisman Trophy, being the quarterback for the University of Oklahoma comes with added pressures. Specifically for a young player like Spencer Rattler.
More than making perfectly timed throws or extending plays using his legs, Rattler commands the huddle and is the bona fide leader on the team. He diagnoses the defense and calls the signals. Rattler sets the tone and those are lofty expectations to fill.
He is the first true quarterback Lincoln Riley has been able to develop. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts were transfers to OU. Rattler is certainly poised for stardom and offensive coordinator/inside wide receivers coach, Cale Gundy, described the evolved maturity he is seeing in No. 7.
“I can see some of the change in him from last fall to this spring where he is trying to step up and take more responsibility.”
Rattler is striving to become more of a vocal leader. His mental preparation done in the meeting rooms and the physical preparation performed on the practice field throughout the week is what will translate to success on Saturdays.
He still needs refinement as every young player does, but his off-platform throws are something of rare beauty. Gundy went in-depth on Rattler’s training that has led to the unique attribute of his game.
“The thing that I think is kind of a little bit different with Spencer is the ability to make a lot of different throws with a lot of different arm angles. Probably, he throws the ball a lot of times in situations or going to his left or going backward — where most coaches would say you don’t. You should not be doing that. But this is something he has worked, and he has trained ever since he was in high school. He spent a lot of time doing that. I can remember, we use to watch some of the workouts that his trainer had him do back home, and a lot of the stuff was different than most of the true quarterback drills that they have young quarterbacks do. Again, he still has a lot of his career ahead of him and in order to get where those guys got, he still has to do so much.”
When flushed out of the pocket, either a sack or off-platform throw will result. Obviously, it is much easier for a quarterback with a stable base to complete an accurate throw. Planted feet generally leads to the best production for a quarterback. But whether it be shuffling or moving, Rattler makes the throws effortlessly. In Riley’s scheme, there are often design bootlegs off play action, but a lot of Rattler’s mobility is improvisation and trust in his arm talent.
With inconsistent footwork, Rattler is able to twist his upper body in an unconventional way opposite how his feet are moving, in order to gain the right momentum behind the throw. All within a matter of seconds. Regardless of the platform and mechanics, Rattler has elite ball placement.
A unique element to Rattler’s game and one that differentiates him from other quarterbacks at the collegiate level. With his unorthodox training combined with the desire and will to be great, the sky is the limit for Spencer Rattler in 2021.