Scouting Report: Spencer Rattler (QB) - South Carolina
Sales Pitch: "Tough experienced quarterback with legit NFL arm talent. Lacks ideal size or athleticism for the position but shows accuracy and touch to all levels of the field and has experience navigating muddy pockets."
Athletic Profile
Height: 6’ 0 1/4”
Weight: 211 lbs
Arm Length: 31”
Hand Size: 9 7/8”
40 Yard Dash: 4.95
10 Yard Split: 1.67
Vertical: 32”
Broad Jump: 9’ 0”
Short Shuttle: 4.37
3-Cone: 7.21
Age: 24
Relative Athletic Score: 4.00 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 68.5% - 10,807 YDS - 8.2 Y/A - 77 TD - 32 INT - 152.2 RTG
2023: 68.9% - 3,186 YDS - 8.0 Y/A - 19 TD - 8 INT - 147.7 RTG
Strengths
Tough quarterback with 42 starts to his name
Good accuracy and touch to all levels of the field
Locates ball well on the run
Solid processor who quickly gets to checkdowns
Not afraid to throw the ball away
Legit NFL arm strength capable of pushing ball to all areas of the field
Quick snappy release with a variety of arm slots
Ball handling and decision making in screen game is excellent
Experience navigating muddy pockets
Creativity to break the pocket and extend plays with his legs
Keeps eyes up when play breaks down
Requires very little platform in front of him to generate velocity
Aggressive thrower willing to make difficult throws
Weaknesses
Lacks ideal build for the position
Below average athlete
Aggression is a double edge sword, bordering on recklessness
32 career INTs, 5+ in all four years of starting
Struggles with interior pressure due to lack of height
Will force balls down the field under pressure
Scrambling skills will not be as effective at NFL level given athletic limitations
Tendency to fade off back foot versus pressure
Summary
Spencer Rattler is a tough, experienced quarterback with a legit NFL arm. The former 5-Star and #1 QB in the 2019 class was a social media superstar who had early success at Oklahoma, He was a All-Big 12 and a Freshman All-American in 2020 but his career took a turn after ceding his job to future top pick Caleb Williams. He ended up transferring and spending his 2022 and 2023 seasons as the signal caller for South Carolina. Rattler’s best NFL trait is his arm talent. He has the velocity to push the ball into tight windows down the field and outside the numbers. He has the flexibility to alter his release angles and requires very little platform to get throws off. Rattler shows good accuracy to all three levels of the field. He throws with anticipation on in breakers over the middle and touch down the field outside the numbers. Rattler did an excellent job creating plays on a South Carolina offense that gave him very little help. He faced the 4th most dropbacks under pressure in college football in 2023 (37.9% of his total dropbacks) and routinely had to deal with poor routes and spacing in front of him. As a result, Rattler enters the NFL with plenty of experience navigating muddy pockets. He has quick feet and shows good poise to climb through traffic with his eyes up. He is a creative player when the play breaks down and throws well on the run. Rattler will have to reign in his habit of over-creation at the next level. He is a below average athlete and his scrambling effectiveness in college will likely not translate to the next level. Rattler lacks ideal size as well and can struggle with interior pressure. When defenders get into his face his accuracy and decision-making will fluctuate. He is an aggressive thrower with trust in his arm, which allows him to make big time throws but is also a double edge sword. Rattler is a solid processor who gets through his half field reads quickly but can get stuck on his first read at times. When he predetermines his destination before the snap it tends to lead to turnovers. Rattler projects as a low end starter, high end back up at the next level. He has the experience, toughness and arm talent to get a shot at a starting gig but his lack of size and athleticism might hold him back. He will likely be a Day 2 pick as a high floor backup with starter upside for a team that misses out on the top of this class.