National buzz lacking for USC QB Spencer Rattler. Consider Shane Beamer disappointed

Coach Shane Beamer thinks Spencer Rattler has been a little overlooked on the national level heading into 2023. Well, little isn’t the word Beamer would use.

“Uh, ‘little’ is ... uh ... let me be correct here,” Beamer said.

The question — whether outside opinions were underestimating his veteran quarterback — clearly struck Beamer. He exhaled deeply, chuckled and chose the rest of his words carefully to finish his answer.

“Yeah, I do (think Rattler’s been overlooked).

“Spencer’s play on the field will speak for itself. Frankly, it’s pretty disappointing just to see maybe the lack of respect on the outside. But, again, we worry about what we can control, and I’m excited for Spencer. And, you know, Spencer’s a guy (who) doesn’t need any of that to motivate him. But as his head coach and someone that thinks the world of the kid, it’s surprising to see some of the preseason watch lists and things like that.”

Rattler was left off the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award watch list, which included five SEC QBs (Jayden Daniels, LSU; KJ Jefferson, Arkansas; Devin Leary, Kentucky; Joe Milton III, Tennessee; and Will Rogers, Mississippi State) and 20 senior signal-callers. Rattler also wasn’t named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s 2023 Player of the Year award watch list.

He squeaked into ESPN’s list of the top 100 players in college football (No. 93). He didn’t make The Athletic’s top 50 rankings for 2024 NFL Draft eligible players, though he did earn the No. 8 spot among senior quarterbacks in a separate list. But that writer cautioned that this quarterback class suffers from a “clear drop-off” after Southern California’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Maye has been heralded as a Heisman-caliber quarterback. Last season he led UNC to a 9-5 record in 2022 and an appearance in the ACC championship game. As a redshirt freshman, he became the sixth Division I quarterback since 2010 to rack up 4,000 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, 650 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, according to UNC.

But Rattler’s resume is impressive as well.

In 2022, he connected on 264 passes (second in school history behind Dylan Thompson in 2014 with 270) on a 66.2% clip (fourth best) for 3,026 yards (sixth best and 538 shy of the program record set by Thompson in 2014). Of those 3,026 yards, 1,044 came in his final three contests. He ended the year with three games of 300-plus passing yards. Under Rattler, the Gamecocks were 8-5 last year, including top-10 upset wins over Tennessee and Clemson.

Rattler did land on a few preseason watch lists: the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (given to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class), the Manning Award and the 2023 Maxwell Award (given to the College Player of the Year).

“He’s one of a kind, man,” sophomore defensive back DQ Smith said. “Just going against him every day in practice, he’s getting us better as a secondary as well.

“... Going against him every day, it really does sharpen iron.”

Maye has been complimentary of Rattler as well. At the ACC Kickoff preseason media event in July, Maye shared his thoughts on facing Rattler and USC Week 1.

“I think he’s had a road,” Maye said. “He’s had to prove himself and he throws it around — he’s got as much talent in the world as you think of as a quarterback. So I think he’ll be geared up and I know he’s going to have a great season. … (I’m) getting ready to have a good quarterback duel.”

Rattler deflected questions asking what he’s made of the “quarterback duel” to kick off the season. He instead placed emphasis on his desire to leave Charlotte with a 1-0 record.

“It’ll be fun,” Rattler said. “But at the end of the day, my focus is to put my team in the best position to win for us. And I’m sure he’s (Maye) trying to do the same thing. I’m just trying to try to play clean, trying to try and make a lot of plays and lead this team to a victory.”

When Beamer looks at Rattler and Maye, he said he sees two really good signal-callers.

“I know coach (Mack) Brown is happy that Drake Maye is his quarterback,” Beamer said, “and I’m ecstatic that Spencer Rattler is ours.”