Spencer Rattler was once considered a potential first-round talent at quarterback during the earlier portions of his collegiate career before losing his job to Caleb Williams at Oklahoma. Despite the setback to his draft stock during his days as a Sooner, Rattler managed to revitalize his value a bit after seeing plenty of success at South Carolina.
Here’s everything you need to know about Rattler and his evaluation as a prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.
How Tall Is Spencer Rattler?
Rattler is a 6’1” quarterback, who falls into the seventh percentile in the height category in direct comparison to the other QB prospects.
Today’s game — which features more shotgun to help aid shorter quarterbacks — has seen multiple vertically limited prospects under center who don’t fit the traditional, prototypical mold for the position have plenty of success in the NFL.
That suggests his lack of ideal height isn’t necessarily a death sentence when projecting his game to the professional ranks, but it does qualify him as a smaller quarterback heading into the league.
How Much Does Rattler Weigh?
Compounding his shorter stature in the height department is his smaller frame at 211 pounds, which puts Rattler below the 20th percentile at the position.
Rattler’s game as a whole isn’t really predicated by his ability to threaten defenses with his legs, and his overall lack of size likely suggests that isn’t going to be a calling card for him on Sundays, either.
How Old Is Rattler?
After spending five years in college, Rattler will enter his rookie season at 23 years old. Despite a lengthier stay at the college level, he’s still the eighth-youngest QB to potentially hear his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft.
What School Did Rattler Go To?
As previously mentioned, Rattler played five seasons worth of college football. He spent the first three years of his college career at Oklahoma (2019-2021) before transferring to South Carolina to play out the final two years of his eligibility.
Revisiting Rattler’s College Career
The start of Rattler’s college career got off to an understandably slow start as a true freshman playing behind Jalen Hurts, which saw him produce just 81 yards and one passing score in 2019.
Despite a quiet first year at Oklahoma, Rattler gained national notoriety after an excellent redshirt freshman campaign in 2020 with 3,031 yards and 28 TDs through the air with an additional 160 yards and six scores on the ground. From a pure statistical production perspective, this would be Rattler’s best season.
Unfortunately, he struggled in 2021 and eventually lost his starting role to the aforementioned Williams after generating just 1,483 yards with 11 TDs and five INTs over nine games as a redshirt sophomore, which would be his final season in Oklahoma.
Rattler’s struggles continued in his first season with the Gamecocks with a 3-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio (18 TDs:12 INTs), with 3,026 passing yards in 13 games as a redshirt junior in 2022.
Yet, Rattler would finish his college career on a high note, improving his ratio (19 TDs and 8 INTs) while throwing for a career-high 3,186 yards in 2023.
Rattler’s Potential in the NFL
The conversation around Rattler’s potential heading into the NFL is certainly subjective to the eye of the beholder. I can see the flashes of what made him a highly touted five-star recruit coming out of Pinnacle High School in Arizona.
Yet, he’s never managed to consistently string together those brief moments of excellence from season to season, game to game, or even series to series.
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Spencer Rattler
Rattler’s arm is good, but not great. Same with his pocket presence. His ball placement, meanwhile, is good but lacks consistent precision. Rattler’s ability to work through progression is present, but not elite. His mobility is serviceable, but miles away from making him a dual-threat weapon as a runner.
I would venture to say Rattler does plenty of things well, but nothing at an elite level.
One thing that is working against Rattler is his lack of reps working under center, which is something he’ll have to do much more often to keep a job in the NFL. He certainly has the physical tools to compete (and potentially secure) a backup role in the NFL, but unless Rattler manages to really raise the floor of consistency across the board, I don’t see him competing for a starting job on Sundays.
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