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QB Spencer Rattler bypassing NFL draft, will return to South Carolina for 2023 season

emily adams, greenville news
·2 min read
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler announced Tuesday that he will return to play for the Gamecocks in 2023 rather than declare for the NFL Draft.

In his first year at South Carolina (8-5, 4-4 SEC), Rattler passed for 3,026 yards and 18 touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. His best performance came in a 63-38 upset of then-No. 5 Tennessee: He threw for a career-high 438 yards and six touchdowns. The South Carolina quarterback finished ranked No. 9 in the SEC in quarterback rating. He led the conference in interceptions with 12, though he had the No. 6 completion percentage at 66.17%.

Rattler is a former five-star recruit and the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the nation for the Class of 2019. He spent three years at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley and had a standout redshirt freshman season with the Sooners in 2020, earning semifinalist honors for the Davey O'Brien Award.

However, the quarterback was benched early in the 2021 season in favor of then-freshman Caleb Williams during a loss to Texas. When Riley accepted the head coaching job at Southern California, Williams followed him and Rattler decided to transfer to South Carolina for 2022. Williams won the Heisman Trophy this season.

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Rattler will be the presumed starter for the Gamecocks in 2023, returning alongside top wide receiver Antwane Wells. Backup quarterback Luke Doty, who won the starting job in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury after five appearances, will have to wait another year to get his second shot at the starting job.

This year's NFL draft contains a stacked quarterback class. Three former SEC quarterbacks — Alabama's Bryce Young, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson — are all expected to go in the first round alongside Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud from Ohio State. Also entering the draft are Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, the SEC player of the year, and Georgia's Stetson Bennett, a Heisman finalist and two-time national champion.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Quarterback Spencer Ratter returning to South Carolina for 2023 season