Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler talks Lincoln Riley, 2021 season

Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler opened up to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt on Lincoln Riley and his outlook for the 2021 season.

“I think Coach Riley does a great job keeping it simple and making it easy for our whole offense just to be efficient,” Rattler said. “Attacking down the field, have a good run game and even everything out. He definitely makes it easy at the QB position going through your reads and seeing coverages. He teaches us a lot of great things. It’s been great so far and I’m excited to see what he dials up this year”

Rattler is entering his second season as the starter and looks to build on a strong finish to his 2020 campaign. Rattler enters the year as a Heisman contender and some even have him tabbed as the Heisman favorite and a potential top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Pinnacle (AZ.) product isn’t focused on individual accolades though.

“A successful season for us would be going out every game, dominating every game, winning every game and seeing where that takes us,” Rattler said. “Hopefully takes us to the national championship and win that one. That’s been our goal since we won our last one in 2000 and we got to get another one. That’s our goal.”

The Sooners certainly have the team to contend in 2020, entering the season ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll. The Sooners will go as high as Spencer Rattler takes them.

In 2020, Spencer Rattler threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns, rushing for an additional 160 yards and six touchdowns. He was named national freshman of the year by CBS Sports and was a first-team AP All-Big 12 selection and co-Big 12 newcomer of the year. After a slow start to the season, Rattler had 15 touchdown passes to just two interceptions in the last seven games.

Rattler returns his top receiver from 2020 in Marvin Mims, who led the Sooners with 610 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman.

Spencer Rattler’s other weapons include Jadon Haselwood, who was the top receiver in the country in the 2020 class, Arkansas transfer Michael Woods II, Theo Wease, Drake Stoops and promising true freshmen Mario Williams and Cody Jackson.

While the Sooners have depth at receiver, the depth at running back is lacking, putting additional pressure on Rattler and the passing offense. The Sooners enter 2021 with just two scholarship running backs in Eric Gray and Kennedy Brooks.

Spencer Rattler and the Sooners open their season against Tulane on Saturday, Sept. 4 at noon.