Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler details why he returned to South Carolina

Spencer Rattler smirked as he chomped on a cigar in the tunnel just off the playing surface at Memorial Stadium.

South Carolina’s 31-30 season-ending win over then No. 8 Clemson was barely 15 minutes old. Rattler, celebrating with his teammates, had barely had time to enjoy the final chapter in his turbulent first season in Columbia.

Still, he was asked about his future.

“I think it definitely does,” Rattler said as to whether his effort against No. 8 Clemson affected his NFL draft plans. “It’s a big, big thing, but I’m gonna talk to my family and just just pray on it. We’ll see. We’ll see here soon.”

Rattler didn’t publicly announce his plans to return to South Carolina until Jan. 10. He spent the bulk of the time between the win over Clemson — and subsequent Gator Bowl trip — weighing options with family, business associates and others. A talk with new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, too, was part of that process.

Through it all, Rattler felt most comfortable coming back to Columbia. His late-season play in the wins over Clemson and No. 5 Tennessee the week prior flashed the dynamism he’s capable of. Another year was a chance to put that on display for a longer stretch.

“I feel like we left some things on the table throughout the season that myself, (receiver Antwane Wells Jr.) wanted to reach and achieve,” Rattler said on Wednesday. “We could have both took that next step to the next level and been OK. But I think coming back was the right decision.”

Expectations for South Carolina’s 2023 season were always going to begin and end with what Rattler — and, to some extent, Wells — decided to do with their futures.

Had Rattler departed, that left veteran Luke Doty and a smorgasbord of younger options like former four-star passers Tanner Bailey and LaNorris Sellers to fight for the starting role on a team that is replacing seven starters on offense and defense.

But with Rattler in the fold, that sliding scale changes.

The Gamecocks will bring back one of the more dynamic duos in the Southeastern Conference this fall in Rattler and Wells — a pair that connected 68 times for 928 yards and six touchdowns. Rattler also recorded the second-most passing yards in 2022 among returning SEC quarterbacks behind only Mississippi State’s Will Rogers, who benefited from playing in Mike Leach’s air raid offense.

Rattler, too, gives the Gamecocks leadership on the offensive side. He noted on Wednesday he spent more of last spring working quietly, setting his own example through his efforts in the weight room and in practice. This year, Rattler feels he’s been able to take on a more vocal role.

“He wasn’t really trying to impose his will and force his leadership on anyone (last year),” head coach Shane Beamer said. “He was trying to earn their respect and earn a role and go from there. Now, everybody knows what he can do and what he’s done here at Carolina. It’s very clearly his team, very clearly his offense.”

Rattler also offers Loggains a star signal-caller with which to work in his first season calling plays in Columbia and an experienced option at the position he spent the bulk of his 16 years in the NFL coaching.

Loggains joked in a recent interview with The State there were times he wasn’t sure Rattler would come back — though the idea of having him in the fold was part of his decision to take the job after two years coaching tight ends at Arkansas.

“He went through something really, really hard (at Oklahoma) in the middle of the season when things weren’t going right,” Loggains told The State recently. “But he also was able to be the steady hand that steers the ship right through the storm (at South Carolina). We’ve got to build off that.”

Think back 16 months to when Rattler initially committed to South Carolina. The general consensus around the program indicated he’d spend one year in Columbia and be off to the NFL.

Instead, Rattler is back. That makes the Gamecocks a legitimate player in the SEC East this fall.

What a difference a year makes.