3 reasons why Spencer Rattler should come back

The ball is officially in Spencer Rattler’s court.

After Juice Wells announced he would be returning to South Carolina next year, all eyes turn to Rattler, who must decide whether or not to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. The deadline to declare is Monday, Jan. 16.

“Like I told him, we’ll support him with whatever he decides to do,” Shane Beamer told 107.5 The Game. “We want to arm him and his family and people with as much information as we can and make the best decision for his future.”

Before Rattler make his decision, here’s a few reasons why he should play at South Carolina next season.

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Continue to build draft stock

It never hurts to stay in college for another year to not only earn a degree but also to impress NFL scouts.

Rattler didn’t look like an NFL-caliber quarterback for most of the season. At one point, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns. Then he flipped the script in mid-November. In the final three games, he threw for just over 1,000 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. He completed 69.4 percent of his passes during that stretch. Not to mention all of those games were against top-25 opponents.

With that being said, it’s a small sample size. It was an impressive few games that shifted the narrative of his play. But what if he reverts to the inconsistency he showed for a majority of the season?

NFL Draft Buzz ranks Rattler as the seventh-best quarterback and No. 90 overall player. Outside of Bryce Young and CJ Stroud, this isn’t the best quarterback class. That could benefit Rattler, but he also would be stacked up against other SEC quarterbacks, such as Will Levis, Anthony Richardson and Hendon Hooker.

Imagine how much his stock would go up if he came back and played great next season. NFL teams are always looking for quarterbacks, especially the ones that haven’t found their guy for years.

There’s always the risk of injury if Rattler returns but it could be worth it if it leads to being drafted much higher. Plus, he’s making six figures from his NIL deals, so it’s not as if he’s risking everything financially.

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Learning from Dowell Loggains

Rattler spent this past season in Marcus Satterfield’s offense before he left for Nebraska. Now, former Arkansas tight end’s coach Dowell Loggains will take the reins of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Before he joined Arkansas, Loggains spent 12 years coaching in the NFL. Obviously, Rattler’s goal is to play professionally someday and being coached by someone who’s been there would be beneficial.

Loggains worked with quarterbacks, such as Kerry Collins, Matt Hasselback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jay Cutler and Ryan Tannehill. His best work came with Cutler and Tannehill.

Culter had a career year in 2015, throwing for almost 3,700 yards (7.6 yards per attempt), 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In 2018, Tannehill averaged 7.2 yards per completion with 17 touchdowns and nine picks. Even then, Loggains knows it will take more to bring Rattler back.

“We’ve got to do a great job of bringing him back,” Loggains said. “I told someone it would be the biggest recruit since my wife.”

It might be a tough selling point for Rattler to have to learn a new offense. Then again, he’d be doing the same thing in the NFL, which could be more complex. Loggains said he wants to try and simplify the play calling for him if he stays.

“Confidence comes from knowledge and confidence lets you play fast. Some of that is reducing verbiage to make it fit where it still makes sense. You don’t have to have a 17-word play call. I don’t think I would have known that if I didn’t come for two years and watched college football,” he said. 

“How much can we reduce the terminology and still be efficient and streamline? The biggest thing I’ve learned in college football and the space and pace of the game and the ability to communicate with signals and as few words as possible.”

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Cementing a legacy

Connor Shaw, Steve Taneyhill, Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs are just a few of the best quarterbacks in program history. Rattler is slowly making his way onto that list but still has some work to do.

There’s something special being built at South Carolina. Beamer has said it many times before, his goal is to lead the Gamecocks to an SEC Championship. Rattler could be the signal caller to take them to Atlanta.

He’s already cemented himself in the history books. He played a large role in helping the Gamecocks beat back-to-back top-10 opponents for the first time in program history. Why not do more, though?

It’s not only Wells that will be coming back. Dakereon Joyner, Xavier Legette and Ahmarean Brown also are returning to round out the veteran receiving core. In some ways, there’s still something to prove. The Gamecocks are on the cusp of becoming a great team.

Next season’s schedule looks more favorable than it has been in recent years. South Carolina’s toughest games will be on the road against Georgia and Tennessee. But its final four games all come at Williams-Brice Stadium. It could be an opportunity for Rattler to take the program to places it has never been before.

Where the Gamecocks go next will weigh on Rattler’s shoulders. It’s an all-important decision that will be closely watched in the coming days.

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