Shane Beamer reflects on Spencer Rattler's transition from Oklahoma to South Carolina

Before Shane Beamer and Spencer Rattler got together at South Carolina in the offseason of 2022, the duo spent time together at Oklahoma, where Rattler spent his first three seasons of his college career and Beamer served as the team’s assistant head coach and tight ends coach from 2018–2020. And at SEC Media Days, Beamer looked back on what he saw in Rattler in Norman and how it’s translated for the Gamecocks.

“I think the biggest thing one is forget about what he did on the field, I knew what kind of person Spencer is,” Beamer said. “It wasn’t like I was bringing in a guy to play quarterback that I didn’t know, I spent two years with him at Oklahoma, a little bit longer if you count the recruiting process as well. He was committed when I got there but I was with him in those two seasons, so I knew what kind of person he was.”

Rattler was the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the nation out of high school according to On3’s Industry Ranking with a lot of hype and attention surrounding him. But his career at Oklahoma did not exactly start off on the right foot, facing adversity early while attempting to fill some big shoes.

“You guys will remember this because you covered Oklahoma, but he had dealt with adversity before at Oklahoma. It wasn’t like all of a sudden this year or last season we had some tough losses and that was the first time he went though stuff or that 2021 was the first time he went through stuff,” Beamer said. “You guys will remember, his first two games as a starting quarterback in the Big 12 at Oklahoma we lost to Kansas State and Iowa State. You’re not supposed to lose two conference games at Oklahoma, that doesn’t happen. Not to mention two games to start the season when you’re replacing Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts as the quarterback.”

Rattler bounced back from his early struggles in 2020 delivering a dazzling performance versus Texas that would start a 8-0 run for the Sooners to finish the season. But what served as a turning point in 2020 would serve as a low point in 2021, as he was famously benched versus Texas the following year for Caleb Williams who would take over the reins for the rest of the season.

“So seeing Spencer handle that adversity, see him get benched in the Texas game in 2021 but then come back in the second half and lead us to a four-overtime win, I believe told me everything I needed to know about Spencer as far as a competitor, leader, kind of person he was,” Beamer said. “So he’s made us better on and off the field and I saw enough, forget about his talent level on the field because that speaks for itself. But the way he handled himself off the field during my two seasons there was really good for me to see.”

Rattler bounced back through it all, throwing for 3,026 yards and 18 touchdowns last season for South Carolina and leading the Gamecocks to their best record since 2017. He mad a seamless transition from Oklahoma to South Carolina, one the Beamer believes was a product of his prior experience in Norman.

“Not to mention his first year there was Jalen Hurts’ year as the quarterback, so he got to see Jalen Hurts come in as a transfer quarterback and I think that, I don’t want to speak for Spencer, but I would imagine that helped him seeing that when he made the transition to Columbia,” Beamer said.

Rattler chose to use his final year of eligibility to return to South Carolina, serving as the final act of a college career that has had no shortage of memorable moments.