Mel Kiper makes Spencer Rattler prediction on transfer vs. NFL Draft

No player in college football has seen their NFL Draft stock fall like Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler. Once presumed to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Mel Kiper Jr. is making a bold prediction regarding Rattler’s future.

After evaluating the play of every quarterback in the nation, Kiper complied his list on the Top-10 quarterbacks for the 2022 NFL Draft. However, there’s one glaring omission — the aforementioned Rattler.

“You’ll notice that Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler has been removed,” wrote Kiper. “It’s tough to keep him in the top 10 when he’s not playing. I think he’s likely to transfer, play elsewhere in 2022 and enter the 2023 draft.”

Evidently, Rattler needs to build his draft stock back up before any team takes a chance on him. As many have pointed out, Rattler’s descent in reminiscent of former USC quarterback Matt Barkley — who fell from potential No. 1 selection to fourth rounder in one season.

Rattler is different from Barkley though, as he has a shot to rebuild and reclaim his status at a different school. However, Kiper, Rattler and everyone involved recognizes that it won’t happen for him at Oklahoma.

Kiper’s Top-10 QBs: Rattler nowhere to be found

Prior to the season, Rattler topped the list of almost every draft analyst around. After completely dropping Rattler from his iteration, Kiper revealed his Top-10 quarterbacks in advance of the 2022 NFL Draft.

1) Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

2) Matt Corral, Ole Miss

3) Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

4) Malik Willis, Liberty

5) Sam Howell, North Carolina

6) Phil Jurkovec, Boston College

7) Carson Strong, Nevada

8) Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

9) Tanner McKee, Stanford

10) Jayden Daniels, Arizona State

Evidently, Kiper differs from his colleague Todd McShay when it comes to their quarterback rankings. While McShay has Malik Willis at the top of his list, Kiper drops the Liberty quarterback to fourth. However, they both agree that Rattler isn’t on the list.

Spencer Rattler can look to players like Jalen Hurts and Matt Barkley as a road map, but the ability to build himself back up lays squarely on his shoulders.