Fire and Ice: Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina

First Round Mock’s NFL Draft Analyst William Yanish takes a close look at one of the most intriguing quarterback (QB) prospects this year, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler.

At the beginning of the 2023 season, there was so much potential in this year’s QB class. So far, while evaluating these QBs, I have seen development, injuries, regression, and breakdowns. It is far from what it appeared to be.

However, that is not a knock overall.

The next QB on my list has been static, he has been constant. 

I have watched South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler turn into one of the best QBs in this class. He also just happens to be the second of my BIG Three QBs of 2024.

Background

The six-foot-one, 217-pound signal-caller is more than meets the eye.

After transferring from Oklahoma to South Carolina, Rattler has been able to re-find his footing and re-establish the dominance he had established at Oklahoma.

STATS 2023: 275 completions out of 399 attempts (68.9%) 3,186 yards passing, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.

Luckily, I have never relied on stats for my evaluations. No, sorry, I am not a ‘stats’ scout,’ however, stats can help to confirm what’s on game film.

During my study, I have reviewed almost an entire season’s worth of football with Rattler at the helm. I was teetering on a first/second round grade last year (2021 and 2022 film).

I still had a ton of questions about him in my initial evaluation.

Quality football can sometimes be hard to find in college, but watching Rattler play with the heart and soul that he plays with is a beautiful thing. 

The Yanish Report

Solid, athletic body. Navigates through the pocket well. Formidable mobility. Takes too many sacks. Footwork and lower body mechanics drive his arm talent. Quick, compact release. Best arm in this class and the prettiest ball. Will force throws. Touch is outstanding. Ball placement could improve on deeper passes. Streaky. Fiery aura. Does not get rattled. Stone-cold confident. Underrated. 

For the win

The talent that he was surrounded with at South Carolina had issues. This was especially true along the offensive line, where there were a lot of injuries this past season. This forced him to take chances and put him into full-fledged gunslinger mode.

Put Rattler behind center at Oregon, Washington, or LSU, and you would have a Heisman Trophy contender. It is just that simple. 

Rattler is a starting QB in the NFL, and he has the potential to be a great one. There is a certain je ne sais quoi about him. Merriam-Webster defines “je ne sais quoi” as something (such as an appealing quality) that cannot be adequately described or expressed.

There will be scouts pounding the table just to get him in the building. 

The adversity he has overcome from his days at Oklahoma, combined with his steady growth, has been outstanding. Rattler will go higher in the draft than anyone in the media predicts (except maybe First Round Mock’s Daniel Kelly, who has him as “QB1” for this draft written in concrete). 

Reese’s Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy also reports there are a few NFL franchises that have given Rattler a starting QB grade headed into the draft.

Of course, Rattler went on to be the Senior Bowl MVP.

Now it is only a question of where he will land. Denver Head Coach Sean Payton will be looking for a QB.

The Broncos are my personal favorite possible landing spot for Rattler.

…Followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

My BIG three questions

We can forgo my BIG Three questions. They have all been answered.

My 2024 NFL Draft Value: First-Round

Pro comparison: The most Mahomes-like prospect since Mahomes.

Game film evidence (2023):

North Carolina

Georgia

Missouri

Tennessee

Florida

Clemson

William Yanish III is a lifelong football fan. He’s from the little town of Crawford, Colorado. Along the way, he’s lived in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Brookings, Oregon. Quarterback Joe Montana was his idol growing up. A little bit of CTE from life’s adventures killed his dreams as a football player. Now, he is an aspiring writer and Draft Analyst at FirstRoundMock.com. He’s a fanatic with a dream, which is coming true.