Shane Beamer shares overall thoughts on Spencer Rattler's spring
When former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler arrived on the South Carolina campus in January it would have been easy for there to be a certain amount of animosity in the air between the new five-star quarterback and the returning Gamecock players.
But that was far from the case — and it clearly took a strong effort from both sides for Rattler’s transition into the program to go as smoothly as it did.
The former No. 1 quarterback in the country arrived in Columbia with a chip on his shoulder and the mindset to put his head down and go to work. His teammates around him — likely curious to see how the big-time QB would carry himself — quickly accepted him into the program.
“I think the thing I was most proud of is that’s not an easy transition coming into a new program when you’ve won a conference championship at another school,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said this week at the 2022 Peach Bowl Challenge Charity Golf Tournament. “You had a successful run as a starter (but) it didn’t end the way you wanted to this year, and then all of a sudden, you’re with a new team a month later. He came in and did a great job of just acclimating himself to our program. And our players have really embraced him and he’s embraced our players and South Carolina.”
Rattler may have been the most high-profile but he certainly wasn’t the only incoming transfer trying to get acclimated to his new surroundings and get comfortable with his new teammates.
South Carolina added nine incoming players from the transfer portal this class — one of the top transfer portal classes in the country — seven of which were on campus for spring football practice.
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Adding talent was obviously a high priority for a program that won just six combined games in the two seasons before Beamer arrived. But culture has been a priority too since the moment Beamer stepped foot on campus, so it was important to bring in the right players from a mindset standpoint as well.
“I was excited with spring practice,” Beamer said. “A lot of returners (and) a lot of new faces. I thought that they did a great job of coming together as one group, the returners and the new arrivals.”
Back to Rattler. All of those physical skills that made him the top QB in the 2019 class were on full display as well.
“Obviously, the natural talent, for one,” Beamer said. “He can make every throw. He’s got a quick release. He can make throws from different arm angles. He’s a better athlete than people give him credit for. … I’m really proud of the transition he’s made and then the performance on the field through spring practice, also.”
