Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

Redshirt Sophomore | 6’1″ 210 lbs | Phoenix, Arizona | 9/28/2000

A dual-threat QB who has a great arm and can push the ball downfield even from awkward positions but needs to prove he can go through progression at the next level.

Overview:

In 2019, Spencer Rattler came into Oklahoma as the number one quarterback in the entire nation out of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona. In high school, Rattler was featured on the Netflix show “QB1: Beyond the Lights.” During the episodes, you can see that Rattler was a vocal leader who had tremendous confidence (bordering on cockiness) in himself and his teammates. With 1 year starting under Lincoln Riley’s vertical zone offense, Rattler established himself as a dual threat quarterback. Spencer has started in 11 games and has played in 14. Ran an RPO-heavy offense. Most of his passes were half-field reads. Ran a lot of crossing patterns, 4 verticals, and mesh.

Strengths:

– He’s shown poise in the pocket and doesn’t panic under pressure.
– He has the feet to be elusive in the pocket, and after the play breaks down, he has the natural ability to visualize where the lanes open.
– He has a natural ability to create soft spots in the defense with his feet to buy time for his receivers to find open field.
– Has a rapid flick of the wrist release that can generate great velocity on his passes
– Shows incredible arm talent when on the run, can push the ball downfield with ease even without his feet set
– Has the arm strength to drive passes over 50+ yards through the seam or outside the numbers
– Can make different launch angle passes without having to set his feet and can throw across his body for deep passes over 45+ yards.
– Has quick exit velocity with excellent short-throw accuracy to place the ball where his receivers can catch without adjustment so they can maximize YAC.
– Possesses the ability to throw across his body without his legs under him while maintaining velocity and accuracy on the pass.
– Is an excellent athlete and can break off long runs on both scrambles and designed runs.

Areas To Improve:

– Struggles to keep his eyes downfield under pressure.
– Small-ish frame may limit his durability at the next level.
– Can get too jumpy in his footwork when making short passes which leads to the ball not being placed on a spot on the receiver where he can be led to gain more YAC.
– Can play too loose at times in his upper body, leading to the ball getting released out of his hand too high or low.
– Needs to get better at processing the field, too quick to anticipate that he needs to tuck and run instead of scanning for the field to open for a receiver.
– Tends to play hero ball, forcing the ball downfield when there are safer options short.

Injury Concerns:

– Left Hip Bruise in vs. Kansas in 2020 (0 games missed, played the next week)

Projection:

Rattler has the rare combination of game-changing athleticism and elite passing skills. He looks confident in setting up and getting rid of the ball with good zip and precision accuracy on the quick-hitting routes like crosses, slants, and skinny posts. He can find the receiver easily on deep passes from 45+ yards. Rattler feels pressure and can avoid it by getting outside the pocket and can get rid of the ball without turning it over. He can also tuck the ball and make additional yards with his feet.

Rattler has the physical tools needed to become an impact starter in the NFL. To do so, he will need to continue to improve his processing and ability to keep his eyes downfield under pressure. This season, Rattler will need to prove he can run more NFL-ready concepts and prove that he has the leadership to take the Sooners to the playoffs.