After opening the 2021 college football season as a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler learned how quickly a fan base can turn against you.
The former five-star recruit struggled mightily in his third season with the Sooners — even getting a chorus of boos from the home crowd at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on multiple occasions.
After entering the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 season, Rattler landed in Columbia with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Saying he has a lot of pressure on him to succeed this coming season is an understatement.
Rattler says he’s used to this heat.
“You have to welcome it at this position,” he said during Thursday’s South Carolina media day. “I’ve been in the limelight, I guess you could say, since high school. So, it’s nothing new to me. You’ve got to embrace it as a quarterback and that comes with leadership qualities, your work ethic, and everything. So, really, like I said, just going out there and playing my style of game and doing what the coaches ask me to do, everything else will take care of itself.”
Rattler’s reputation as a football player took a serious dive this past season. The 21-year-old quarterback is looking to flip that narrative on its head during his first season with the Gamecocks.
“Everybody kind of sees it,” Rattler added. “It is what it is. I mean, I definitely, I’ll tell you who I am. I’m a competitor, I’m a confident guy, I’m a team guy, and I love the game. Every coach I’ve played with can tell you that, every teammate.”
“We’ll see this year. It’s gonna be a great year. Gonna have fun, that’s the main thing. And, try to go out there and win games.”
Rattler will look to block out the haters and get his college football career back on track in 2022.
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