The New Orleans Saints were forced to turn to a new quarterback in Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season after Derek Carr suffered an oblique injury against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Saints were left with a tough decision. Would they start second-year backup Jake Haener or turn to rookie Spencer Rattler?
Ultimately, New Orleans went with the move it believed had the most upside. The Saints inserted Rattler into the starting lineup and let the 24-year-old signal-caller quarterback them in a divisional rivalry game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Saints fell in that contest 51-27, but Rattler showed flashes that reminded many of why he was once considered a top-tier recruit and NFL quarterback prospect.
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Spencer Rattler college career
Rattler began his college career already as a well-known and hyped prospect. He was the consensus No. 1 quarterback in college football’s 2019 recruiting class and stared in Netflix’s documentary series ‘QB1: Beyond The Lights’ during his final year at Pinnacle High School (Az.).
Rattler drew the attention of many major programs but ultimately committed Oklahoma after watching Lincoln Riley develop Baker Mayfield into a top college quarterback. While Mayfield didn’t win the Heisman or become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft until after Rattler had committed, Riley’s status as one of college football’s top quarterback gurus made the Sooners an attractive destination for Rattler.
Rattler enrolled at Oklahoma in the Summer of 2019. He spent his first season backing up Jalen Hurts before being named the starter ahead of the 2020 season. Rattler starred during the COVID-impacted campaign, leading the Big 12 in completion percentage (67.5), passing yards (3,031) and passing touchdowns (28) while tossing just seven interceptions.
Many expected Rattler to make leap during his redshirt sophomore year with the Sooners. He entered the season as the Heisman Trophy favorite but struggled to live up to the hype. After nine inconsistent starts, Rattler was replaced by true freshman Caleb Williams. Williams went on to start the rest of the season, which led Rattler to seek a fresh start via the transfer portal.
Rattler drew plenty of interest before ultimately landing at South Carolina. He spent two seasons there working alongside Shane Beamer and helped rebuild his draft stock by evening out his play. He led the SEC in interceptions during the 2022 season with 12 but cut that number to eight the following year with a career-low interception percentage of 2.0.
Rattler declared for the draft following his 2023 senior season. By then, the four-year college starter was expected to be a mid-round pick and had done well to quell concerns about his 2021 struggles at Oklahoma.
Spencer Rattler college stats
Below is a year-by-year look at Rattler’s stats from his college days:
2019 (Oklahoma): 63.6 completion percentage, 81 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 155.5 rating
2020 (Oklahoma): 67.5 completion percentage, 3,031 yards, 28 TDs, 7 INTs, 172.6 rating
2021 (Oklahoma): 74.9 completion percentage, 1,483 yards, 11 TDs, 5 INTs, 155.5 rating
2022 (South Carolina): 66.2 completion percentage, 3,026 yards, 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 138.7 rating
2023 (South Carolina): 68.9 completion percentage, 3,186 yards, 19 TDs, 8 INTs, 147.7 rating
Spencer Rattler draft scouting report
Rattler entered the 2024 NFL draft widely considered to be the best of the non-first-round quarterbacks in the class.
Rattler carried with him some concerns – notably a below-average 6-0, 211-pound frame and a lack of high-end arm strength – but his good athleticism and five years of college experience helped endear him to NFL teams. He impressed during the pre-draft process by winning MVP at the Senior Bowl, and that allowed him to work his way into the mix as a mid-round prospect.
‘Rattler will still flash glimpses of what he showed in his 2020 season as a Sooner but fails to consistently sustain the type of play that NFL teams look for,’ Zierlein wrote. ‘He lacks desired height for a pocket passer and doesn’t have enough arm strength to beat greedy NFL cover men. He was better than some of his 2023 numbers might indicate, as poor pass-blocking and drop-prone receivers often put him in bad spots. He can scramble and extend plays, but he’s not a dynamic runner and needs optimal protection and separation in order to work in rhythm.
‘[Rattler] needs an offense that can shrink the field so he can operate quickly and find his rhythm,’ Zierlein added. ‘He has the know-how but might not have the tape or traits to inspire confidence in projecting anything more than a QB2/3.’
Many other draftniks agreed with Zierlein’s assessment, though some believed there was a chance Rattler could sneak into Day 2 of the 2024 NFL draft after six quarterbacks went in the first round.
When was Spencer Rattler drafted?
Rattler ultimately lasted until the fifth round, where the Saints selected him with the 150th overall pick. He was the seventh quarterback to come off the board but went a whopping 138 picks later than the sixth drafted quarterback – Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, who went 12th overall.
The Saints planned to develop Rattler behind Carr and have him compete with Haener for the backup job. While Haener dressed as Carr’s backup for the first five weeks, Rattler’s potential and mobility ultimately earned him the nod over the former Fresno State quarterback in Week 6.
Now, Rattler will look to establish himself as the latest successful quarterback to play collegiately at Oklahoma and under Lincoln Riley’s tutelage.
Oklahoma QBs in the NFL
Rattler is one of five current NFL quarterbacks who played at least one season at Oklahoma for Lincoln Riley. Below is the full list of players, along with the years they started for the Sooners.
Baker Mayfield (2015-17)
Kyler Murray (2017-18)
Jalen Hurts (2019)
Spencer Rattler (2019-21)
Caleb Williams (2021)