CHECK OUT: Reasons for ex-South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler’s tumble in the 2024 NFL Draft
Spencer Rattler, a former South Carolina quarterback, waited until the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft before hearing his name called. That was far later than most expected, prompting discussion about why NFL teams were afraid to choose the former five-star prospect. Some early reports raised concerns about Rattler’s capacity to grow into a starter, as well as a football reality program in which he competed when he was 17 years old in high school.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter claimed Monday that Rattler’s significant drop in the NFL Draft was due to his best possibilities addressing the quarterback position early in the first round, rather than anything that happened in high school.
“You know what I think it was with Spencer Rattler more than anything else?” Schefter spoke on The Pat McAfee Show. “According to the guys I spoke with, the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons were the two clubs that loved him the best. And I believe they gave him a mid-second or early third-round rating. Spencer Rattler’s major issue there was that the Broncos selected Bo Nix at [No. 12], the Falcons selected Michael Penix at [No. 8], and his two best choices closed up quickly, leaving him on the board for longer than many people believe.”
Rattler was taken in the fifth round by the New Orleans Saints as the 150th overall pick. Six quarterbacks were taken off the board in the first 12 choices in the first round on Thursday, and none were picked until Saturday, when Rattler was drafted.
“I think that had as much to do with it as anything else,” Schefter explained. “You can talk about all the other variables, but there were certain individuals on some teams — and I know this because I asked them before the draft, ‘How high do you think Spencer Rattler is gonna go?’ ‘Ah, mid-second or early third.’ The difficulty was that two prospective landing locations closed up very quickly, causing him to drop deeper than many people expected.”
Rattler has spent the past two seasons as South Carolina’s starting quarterback after transferring from Oklahoma in 2022. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound passer earned 42 total starts at both institutions. He had a cumulative 28-14 record as a starter. Rattler completed 68.5% of his throws, totaling 10,807 yards and 77 touchdowns with 32 interceptions. He also ran for 410 yards and 16 touchdowns on 297 attempts.
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Rattler was a five-star talent coming out of Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle in the 2019 recruiting class. He was regarded as the top pro-style quarterback and the ninth overall recruit, regardless of position. Rattler chose Oklahoma over other offers from Alabama, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Utah, and others.
