Spencer Rattler on his time at Oklahoma leading him to transfer to South Carolina: 'It was a blessing in disguise'

Former South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler is enjoying a strong second season with the New Orleans Saints. Despite some roster struggles around him, Rattler has solidified himself as a starter in the NFL. This week, in previewing his team’s matchup against the Chicago Bears, Rattler reflected on his journey.

After losing his starting job at the University of Oklahoma in 2021, Rattler entered the transfer portal. The former five-star gunslinger found a new home in Columbia, a move for which he is thankful.

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“It definitely led me to South Carolina,” Rattler said of the end of his Oklahoma tenure. “It was a blessing in disguise. I got to play with the Gamecocks and develop there.”

During his two years in garnet and black, Rattler threw for over 6200 yards and 44 total touchdowns. He set the USC record for career completion percentage (67.5%) and was an excellent leader. Head coach Shane Beamer, who was an assistant at Oklahoma for part of Rattler’s tenure, often spoke well of his time coaching the eventual fifth-round NFL Draft selection.

Rattler led Beamer’s Gamecocks to back-to-back top-10 wins in 2022, knocking off College Football Playoff hopefuls Tennessee and Clemson. It was also the first time in South Carolina history that the program had beaten top-10 teams in consecutive tries.

Rattler also shared that the experience in Columbia helped him “get ready to go to the league.”

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This weekend also presents an interesting opportunity for Rattler. The Saints are playing the Bears, a team quarterbacked by Caleb Williams and whose defensive coordinator is Dennis Allen.

Back when both Rattler and Williams were at Oklahoma, Rattler (despite playing well overall) got benched in favor of Williams.

Rattler said that he has a cordial relationship with Williams but looks forward to competing with his fellow class of 2024 NFL Draft mate. However, Rattler downplayed any personal significance to playing against him. “The past is the past. We’re focused on the present and the future.”

Allen spent the 2024 season as the head coach of the Saints, his third with the franchise. It was Rattler’s rookie season in New Orleans, and the team struggled mightily. The organization then fired Allen midseason, and Rattler started the final four games of the year.

Classy as always, Rattler spoke well of his former head coach. “He’s been doing it a long time. He is really smart…we’ve got to be on our A-game.”

Rattler and New Orleans will take the field for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff on Sunday. Fox will broadcast the Saints-Bears matchup, while the FoxSports app makes it available via streaming.

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