Mel Kiper goes bold in national champion prediction

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper on Thursday appeared on Get Up to discuss Georgia-Clemson, the top-ranked quarterback on his 2022 NFL Draft big board (Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler) and, perhaps fittingly, reveal his national championship prediction: the Oklahoma Sooners.

Not only is Kiper so high on Rattler, tabbing him the top quarterback of his class, he’s equally high on the Oklahoma Sooners. In fact, he seemed certain in selecting the Sooners to win it all in 2021.

“This is a team that, I think — and I’ll say this on the record — Oklahoma wins the national title this year,” he said.

Having a quarterback of Rattler’s stature sure is a good place to start.

Kiper sees Rattler as a full-package of a quarterback, and the stats certainly back him up. Rattler finished with a 68.8 completion percentage last season, leading all Big 12 quarterbacks. He also paced the conference in passing yards and touchdowns. Additionally, Rattler managed to tally those stats in just 11 games, as the season was shortened due to COVID-19.

Rattler is entering his second season as the starter. He is currently a Heisman contender and some even have him tabbed as the Heisman favorite and a potential top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“Spencer Rattler from Oklahoma [has] a little edge, just slightly over Sam Howell from North Carolina and Malik Willis from Liberty,” Kiper said of his quarterback rankings. “I think when you look at Spencer Rattler, the way he finished the season — he threw five picks in the first four games last year, and after that he wasn’t going to be stopped. He threw touchdown pass after touchdown pass, with only two picks over those final seven games.

“Completion percentage; touchdown passes; you’re talking about the rushing touchdowns — a quarterback who can spin it, gained confidence, cut down on the mistakes, better decision-making.”

Heather Dinich, a fellow ESPN college football analyst, agreed with Kiper and took it a step further. She believes that Rattler and the offense will be excting, but Oklahoma’s revamped defense is what will put it into national championship conversation.

“One of the biggest reasons why is Spencer Rattler, but look: Oklahoma has always been good at offense; the difference is the defense,” Dinich said. “They’ve just made such significant strides under Alex Grinch and I think that’s what it takes — not to win the Big 12, but to beat the likes of Alabama and Ohio State.”