What former OU football star Spencer Rattler said about his transfer, playing in SEC
THIBODAUX, La. — Spencer Rattler wanted a fresh start when he decided to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal after spending three seasons at Oklahoma.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound quarterback said he found that destination when he moved to South Carolina.
“It’s a great opportunity to get a fresh start with a great team,” Rattler said while attending the Manning Passing Academy held at Nicholls State on Friday. “A lot of people don’t realize how many weapons we have. I’m excited to get the ball into those guys hands and try to get them farther.”
Rattler played a major role in Oklahoma’s success in recent seasons. He played in 23 games over three seasons at Oklahoma, posting a 15-2 record in those starts. He completed 70.1% of his passes (361-for-515) for 4,595 yards with 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed 127 times for 260 yards.
Rattler helped guide the Sooners to the 2020 Big 12 Championship in his redshirt freshman season. He was among the Heisman Trophy favorites heading into 2021 but was benched in the middle of the season.
Rattler said it was tough to leave Oklahoma, but he believes it was the right move.
“The biggest thing I learned from my time at Oklahoma was fighting through adversity,” Rattler said. “Playing quarterback is always going to put you through adversity. We had a lot of success at Oklahoma. We won a lot of games and conference championships. I had a great time there, but it was time to move on and help out someone new.”
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Rattler said he loved the atmosphere at South Carolina and decided it was the perfect place for him to play.
“The type of offense they run and the type of people I knew there,” Rattler said. “I’m real comfortable with Coach Shane Beamer and the staff, so it was great.”
Rattler said he has spent the offseason preparing for playing in the Southeastern Conference every week.
“Just playing great teams every week and learning new defenses is exciting,” Rattler said. “Overall the speed and being in a different environment will be something new that I have to get ready for. I think it will be really fun.
"Football is football at the end of the day. From here it’s all about learning a new offensive scheme. I’m getting through it. I’m very comfortable.”
Rattler said he knows most football fans don’t expect much out of South Carolina, which went 7-6 last season, but he believes the Gamecocks can use that for motivation in 2022.
“We don’t have a lot of hype behind us, but that’s what we want,” Rattler said. “It’s nice not to have a lot of hype behind us. You get to sneak up on people. That’s our goal is to knock a few teams off, shock some people and go far.”
Reach Chris Singleton at 985-857-2213 or chris.singleton@houmatoday.com and on Twitter @courierchris.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: OU football: Spencer Rattler on transfer to South Carolina, SEC
