Big things were expected from Spencer Rattler heading into the 2020 college football season. While head coach Lincoln Riley stated there would be a quarterback competition between him and Tanner Mordecai, it didn’t feel like there was any way that Rattler wouldn’t be the man under center or in the shotgun when Oklahoma kicked off their season against Missouri State.
Following a near-flawless performance in the season opener, the 2019 No. 1 rated quarterback recruit very much looked the part of a redshirt freshman getting his first significant playing time. He struggled with protecting the football with four interceptions in two games, this led to the Sooners 1-2 start to begin 2020. Following a brief benching against the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, he was a completely different quarterback.
Rattler would throw for 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions following the Red River Shootout. He led the Sooners to a spotless 7-0 record and a victory in the Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium where they absolutely throttled the Florida Gators, 55-20.
With his first full season now behind him, Rattler and Oklahoma’s expectations are sky-high. ESPN even ranked the Sooners as the No. 1 team in their post-spring power rankings. Can Oklahoma finally get over the hump and win a College Football Playoff semifinal game, much less win the whole thing? If they do, the Arizona native might have something to do with it. Early indications thus far are that Rattler will be heaving looked at as a possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
Spencer Rattler’s NFL draft outlook
A look at Rattler’s numbers from last season
2020 Stats:
| Comp % | Yards | Yards/Comp | TD Rate | TDs | INT Rate |
| 68 | 3,31 | 14.2 | 9% | 28 | 2% |
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ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly discussed each quarterback prospect for the 2022 NFL draft class. A look at what he had to say about the Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback (subscription required).
What Connelly Says…
The football zips out of Rattler’s right hand like a laser beam; his natural passing talent is as good as you’ll ever see. He could still stand to improve against the blitz, however. The Sooners ranked 14th in overall passing success rate last year but only 75th in blitz downs, which I define as second-and-super-long or third-and-5 or more. There were few big plays to speak of, as Rattler’s main goal in these situations was to get the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible. Opponents like Baylor and Iowa State jumped on this tendency a bit (though Florida certainly couldn’t). Defensive coordinators will likely attempt to exploit this quick-passing tendency, and how well he responds to it might determine both the Sooners’ national title fate and his own top-level draft status.
Best defenses on the schedule: West Virginia (11th), Oklahoma State (12th), Iowa State (15th)
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