Shane Beamer addresses Spencer Rattler being left off of Manning Award watch list: 'That's crazy'

Shane Beamer has once again come to the defense of South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler. The All State Sugar Bowl announced their Manning Award Watch List on Monday. The watch list left Rattler’s name off in lieu of the 30 candidates they chose instead.

Beamer said during his press conference on Tuesday that he didn’t see the list. However, he says he doesn’t want Rattler to worry about it because the individual awards will come if the Gamecocks accomplish what they want to as a team.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

“I did not see that so I had no reaction. That’s the first I’m hearing of it,” said Beamer. “I don’t know, it’s like I tell our players that the better teams have the individual award winners and if we just go out this year and have the year we think we can have and develop as a football team, it’ll be a great year for us as a team and a great year for guys as individuals as well.”

Rattler was a selection on last season’s list but didn’t make it this time around. His 2021 campaign went off the rails after having a great first year as a starter in 2020. He is hoping to turn a new page in Columbia this fall and Beamer wishes the list reflected that. Whether he said it with all due respect or not, Beamer fervently disagrees that there are 30 quarterbacks in the nation better than Rattler.

“I’d say if somebody thinks he’s not one of the 30 best quarterbacks in the country, they’ve lost their minds in my opinion. That’s just me,” said Beamer. “He was on that list last year I would imagine, right? Well I don’t think he has gotten worse as a quarterback since last year…I did not know that, but that’s crazy.”

Shane Beamer is right, though. If Rattler goes out and has a return to form, he’ll be back on award radars in no time. Leading South Carolina to a big season will only accelerate that process. No player enjoys being snubbed off lists like these but everything in preseason is opinion based. It’s now up to Rattler to use this as fuel to his fire to bounce back in 2022.