Players share why Spencer Rattler is 'locked in' heading into new season
When Spencer Rattler initially transferred to South Carolina, the thought was he’d more likely than not spend one year in Columbia and move onto the NFL.
Things don’t always go as planned, though. After an up and down year, Rattler’s stock wasn’t where it needed to be to turn pro and decided to come back to the Gamecocks.
But it could be the best move for Rattler, who torched defenses at the tail end of last season. And some of his weapons are confident in his abilities to keep playing at a high level this year.
“Oh, man, he has the arm to do whatever he want to do. I feel like he’s going to put it on display just as well as he did it last year,” Xavier Legette said.
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Rattler’s tenure as a Gamecock got off to a shaky start when he had more interceptions than touchdowns by November. But then something clicked.
In South Carolina’s last five games, Rattler threw 13 touchdowns to just three interceptions.
While Rattler hasn’t played a meaningful snap yet this year, it seems he’s already on the right track for a good year. In spring practice, the team named him the Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring. And moving into fall camp, he’s been looking sharp.
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“He’s filling the shoes and running the show a lot better this camp, having really, really good practices,” Trey Knox said. “Credit to coach (Dowell) Loggains coaching him up and letting him feel confident. Feel like he can just do whatever he wants to man, as long as it’s the right decision. And he’s been protecting the ball a lot better. I think that was his number one emphasis was to value the ball highly. He’s doing a great job of that.”
However, there’s more to it than just being able to throw the ball efficiently. Whether Rattler knows it or not, there’s always going to be that chip on his shoulder to be better. But his teammates think that’s not what’s on his mind right now.
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“I think he’s locked in, man,” Ahmarean Brown said. “He’s not worried about proving people wrong. I think that this year is more about himself making sure he’s ready, making sure his mind is ready for this year.
“It’s scary to see. Man, listen, Spencer is locked in, and I think this year is going to be very special for him. I think he’s going to get back to that Heisman candidate level. And I’m excited to be one of his wideouts as I know he’s going to throw that thing crazy this year.”
