How Spencer Rattler performed in first scrimmage with Gamecocks

Spencer Rattler’s first scrimmage at South Carolina is officially in the books.

Rattler and the Gamecocks worked through their first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday with head football coach Shane Beamer meeting with the media on Tuesday to discuss what he saw from his team and particularly the transfer QB.

“Spencer was good,” Beamer said of Rattler’s performance. “It was good to see him because for the first time he was in a scrimmage setting where we’re signaling in plays and he’s having to communicate in the huddle and coaches aren’t out there and there’s SEC officials all around him and I thought he was great. He didn’t look like a guy that was lost out there by any stretch of the imagination.”

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While getting in and out of the huddle may seem like a simple thing for Beamer to focus on, the former five-star quarterback who transferred in from Oklahoma this offseason is coming from a Lincoln Riley-led scheme that operated almost exclusively as a no-huddle offense.

Part of the reason Rattler chose South Carolina — other than the prior relationship and trust with Beamer — was the opportunity to play in Marcus Satterfield’s pro-based offense which features traditional huddles and a lot more under-center work.

With ten practices now in the books, Beamer has praised the way Rattler has assimilated in his new program.

“Certainly, there are some plays he’d like to have back, there’s no doubt about it,” Beamer continued. “We’ve got to continue to make sure the guys he’s throwing to are making plays for him as well. But I thought he did a good job of commanding the offense and operating. We all saw the areas—players and coaches—where we have to be better at and it was a good learning experience for all of us in a scrimmage No. 1.”

South Carolina was without some of its top skill players in the scrimmage, though none of the injuries are considered overly serious for the long term.

Wide receivers Dakereon Joyner and E.J. Jenkins and running back Juju McDowell all missed the scrimmage while receiver Xavier Legette “scrimmaged but probably wasn’t 100 percent.” Do-it-all tight end Jahiem Bell remains out with a hamstring injury suffered on the first day of spring practice.

While Beamer and Satterfield have yet to name a starting quarterback, all signs point to Rattler being the guy when the time to name a starter ultimately comes.

“Spencer is taking all the reps with the ones,” Beamer said two weeks ago during a press conference. “I mean, you guys are out there. We talk about competition all the time so right now, he’s talking all of those reps with the first group and it kind of is what it is. Luke (Doty) is getting more and more cleared to do everything and the more and more he can do, the better. Colten (Gauthier) is doing a great job, Braden (Davis), all those guys and we’re certainly on track and on pace to be able to be where we need to be.”

Doty, who has been held out of 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work for most of the spring as the staff cautiously brings him back from foot surgery that prematurely ended his 2021 season, was able to participate in Saturday’s scrimmage, Beamer said.

While Rattler and Doty were, of course, in non-contact jerseys, the Gamecocks’ younger quarterbacks were full-go for the scrimmage.

“They wanted to be (live). They did a nice job. It was great for their development of knowing they can’t sit back in the pocket and pat the ball all day when the pass rush is coming. They have to get rid of it,” Beamer said. “Braden had a nice scramble on a run. It was good to make them live and good for them to understand the speed of the game and how things have to operate.”

South Carolina returns to action on Thursday for spring practice No. 11 before scrimmaging again on Saturday. They’ll practice twice next week leading up to the Garnet and Black spring game, which is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, April 16.

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