Heisman hype? South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler once was in UNC QB Drake Maye’s position

The quarterback became the starter as a redshirt freshman, winning nine games and leading his team to his conference’s championship game.

A year later, Spencer Rattler was being mentioned as the Heisman Trophy favorite for the 2021 season and possibly the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

That was at Oklahoma. And if anyone knows how quickly things can change in college football it’s Rattler, who lost his starting job early in 2021. The Heisman talk ended quickly. After the season, he transferred to South Carolina.

Rattler will begin his second season with the Gamecocks on Saturday, against North Carolina and quarterback Drake Maye, now the one being brought up in Heisman conversations and those draft guesstimates that are endless.

Like Rattler, Maye led his team to the conference title game in his first season as a starter. Unlike Rattler, he did not win it.

Rattler and the Sooners beat Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game. The Sooners finished 9-2 in that pandemic 2020 season after ripping Florida 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl, and Rattler was named first team All-Big 12.

Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer doesn’t begrudge Maye any of the crush of attention the Charlotte native has drawn, especially leading up to the season opener in Maye’s hometown. ESPN’s GameDay guys will gush about him more on Saturday..

But Beamer also believes Rattler, his guy, is being overlooked nationally.

“Frankly, it’s pretty disappointing just to see maybe the lack of respect on the outside,” Beamer said Tuesday at his press conference. “Spencer doesn’t need any of that to motivate him. But as his head coach and someone who thinks the world of the kid it’s surprising to see some of the preseason watch lists.”

Super competitive QBs

Both Maye, who is on every football watch list imaginable, and Rattler are called super competitive, yet humble players. Rattler, in fact, has “Stay Humble” tattooed on the inside of his upper left arm.

Maye and the Tar Heels were beaten decisively by Clemson in the 2022 ACC championship in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. The 39-10 loss stung everyone in the UNC program and especially Maye, the 2022 ACC player of the year who will be looking for more than a bit of redemption Saturday.

Beamer said he spent part of Monday again watching video of Maye, who passed for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns last season. Maye’s last three TD throws came against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl as the Heels lost a close one, 28-27.

“Drake is an athlete, a big quarterback,” Beamer said of the 6-4, 230-pound QB. “I think he had the second-most scrambling yards in the country last year. He’s creative. He can make any throw on the field. Watching tape, whether it’s him fitting balls into tight windows, it’s just impressive some of the throws he can make, particularly down the field. When things break down, he has the ability to improvise and scramble and run the ball.

“Watching him on tape, he does not get too high or too low. He’s very steady, which is a great quality for a quarterback. Spencer has that quality, as well.”

In putting together a defensive game plan for the Heels. Beamer noted that if UNC is able to run the ball effectively, “It’s going to be a long night for us.”

“For us it starts with stopping the run,” Beamer said,

And Maye?

“No question we’ve got to corral him.”

“Two NFL guys”

The same is true for the Tar Heels and Rattler. UNC coach Mack Brown called Maye and Rattler “two NFL guys” and likened Rattler to Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, who rallied the Ducks to a late victory in the Holiday Bowl.

“He brings so many things to the table,” Gene Chizik, UNC’s assistant head coach for defense, said Monday. “He’s got an amazing skill set, athletic ability wise. When you watch him, you’re trying to figure out what will they do with him because he can do so many things.

“He’s very dangerous when he gets outside the pocket. He throws an amazing deep ball. The last three games of the (2022) season, against Tennessee, Clemson and Notre Dame, he was on fire.”

Rattler threw for 438 yards and six TDs in beating the Vols 63-38, then 360 yards and two scores in the 31-30 win over Clemson. He shook off an early pick-six against the Tigers, gunning a 72-yard TD pass in the second half as the Gamecocks won.

“His confidence is sky high, I’m sure.,” Chizik said,

Rattler, a redshirt senior, doesn’t disagree. He said Tuesday he’s “more comfortable” with the offense installed by new coordinator Dowell Loggains, calling it another boost to his confidence level.

As for facing Maye, Rattler said, “It will be fun but at the end of the day my focus is on putting my team in the best position to win. I’m sure he’s trying to do the same thing.

“I’m just trying to play clean, make a lot of plays and lead this team to a victory. I’m looking forward to it. I’m ready to go.”