JD PicKell: Why South Carolina's pro-style system will be easier for Spencer Rattler

South Carolina made a huge splash in the transfer portal this offseason when it landed Spencer Rattler from Oklahoma. The move reunited him with former Sooners tight ends coach Shane Beamer — and On3’s J.D. PicKell argued Rattler could fit the Gamecocks’ system like a glove.

Rattler was the No. 5 transfer to hit the portal this offseason, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings. He played in Lincoln Riley’s system at OU, which asked a lot out of the quarterback position. But now, he’s joining a Gamecocks team with an experienced offensive line and with Christian Beal-Smith coming in from Wake Forest, the run game could also pick up.

That’s why PicKell argued South Carolina can run a pro-style offense — an offense that suits Rattler’s skill set.

“At Oklahoma, in Lincoln Riley’s offense, there’s a lot asked of the quarterback,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “You’re making checks, you’re doing a lot physically that’s difficult in terms of what he has to do from a dual-threat perspective and throwing the ball downfield and things like that. The offense legitimately goes as the quarterback goes. So when Oklahoma sputtered, the finger’s getting pointed at Spencer Rattler. It’s not that he won’t have to do a lot of those things at South Carolina. He just might be asked to do some of those things less. He’s still going to have to be the leader, still lead the offense, still be accurate throwing the football, still drive the ball downfield, still make checks. All of those things are still going to be his responsibility.”

“The defense returns seven starters, the entire offensive line comes back. Maybe they get that run game going that struggled a year ago. They went in the portal. Maybe they get some success in the run game and ultimately, with a pro-style system, there’s a very good chance that they take some things off his plate that he had on his plate at Oklahoma. Not having to feel the weight of the world and not having the expectations of the world on your shoulders, for Spencer Rattler, again, that might be what does the trick for him. That might be what allows him to play free and just let the game come to him.”