Spencer Rattler has his swagger back for South Carolina football. It's like Oklahoma in 2020

COLUMBIA — In South Carolina football’s 63-38 upset of then No. 5 Tennessee in 2022, Spencer Rattler became himself again.

After throwing the fifth of his six touchdown passes against the Vols, Rattler counted each one off on his fingers, glancing into a sideline camera with a smirk and a shrug. It was a glimpse of the swagger that once helped Rattler ascend to the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the class of 2019 and to Heisman consideration as a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma.

"It was a surreal moment just having fun out there. It was like being a kid again, just in that flow state," Rattler said. "I definitely appreciate Coach (Shane) Beamer for always believing in me. That's why I came here. I knew he was a great coach, a loyal coach. He's always just told me to let it rip."

Self-confidence — sometimes to a fault — has been Rattler’s calling card since his days at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix. It’s part of why Netflix chose to follow him during his senior year for the documentary series “QB1: Beyond The Lights.” It’s what stood out to former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley when Rattler arrived on campus in the summer of 2019.

It’s why South Carolina players and coaches alike believe Rattler can be the best version of himself in 2023. He'll get his first chance to show it in the Gamecocks' season opener against North Carolina on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

“I think Spencer has grown in so many ways ... Finishing the way that he finished gave him great confidence — not that he didn't have it already — going into 2023," Beamer said. "He's been awesome since he came back in January, not only trying to improve as a quarterback but to be an even better leader ... I'm eager to see him take the next step as he continues to grow and gain confidence."

Spencer Rattler's rollercoaster at Oklahoma

The "QB1" series paints a somewhat unflattering image of an 18-year-old Rattler, highlighting his obvious talent alongside a huge ego. In the very first episode, he is labeled "a little cocky" by Arizona radio host Kevin McCabe.

"I don't call it cocky, I just call it being very confident in your abilities," Rattler said in the episode. "You just have to go out there and have fun with it. I just really have fun."

Coming to Oklahoma as the third-string quarterback behind future NFL star Jalen Hurts and Tanner Mordecai, Riley immediately recognized the freshman's eagerness to compete as one of his best traits.

"One thing I have appreciated about the kid, even though he wasn’t here for spring, he’s not afraid of the moment," Riley said before the 2019 season started. "He thinks he should be right in the middle of it, which you know, you better believe that and he certainly has that self-confidence.”

Rattler earned the starting job over Mordecai and put together an elite campaign in 2020, but even that season came with adversity. Beamer was the Sooners' associate head coach and tight ends coach that season, and he remembers when Rattler was benched for the first time in Oklahoma's rivalry game against Texas.

"We lost to Kansas State and (West Virginia), and you're not supposed to lose two conference games at Oklahoma. That doesn't happen," Beamer said. "To see him get benched in the Texas game then come back in the second half to lead us to a four-overtime win told me everything I needed to know about Spencer."

Rattler was no stranger to upholding his confidence in low moments, but it noticeably faltered for the first time in 2021. With then-freshman Caleb Williams waiting in the wings, Rattler threw five interceptions and was sacked 11 times through his first six games as the starter. He was benched against Texas for the second year in a row, but this time it was Williams who led the Sooners' historic comeback victory.

Williams started the rest of that season, then transferred to Southern California when Riley left to became coach there. He won the Heisman Trophy with the Trojans in 2022 while Rattler searched for a fresh start at South Carolina.

How South Carolina rebuilt Spencer Rattler's confidence

When Dowell Loggains was hired as South Carolina's offensive coordinator in December to replace Marcus Satterfield, he wasn't even certain he'd get to work with Rattler. The quarterback had an underwhelming season leading up to his breakout against Tennessee and considered declaring for the NFL Draft before deciding to return for another season in Columbia.

Loggains, who spent 16 years in the NFL and six as a quarterbacks coach, changed everything for Rattler. Familiar with highly collaborative relationship between an NFL coordinator and their quarterback, Loggains built his offense at South Carolina around Rattler's input and catered to his skillset.

"This is the best camp I've ever been a part of personally," Rattler said after the first preseason scrimmage. "Offensively, I love everything we're doing and I don't feel any growing pains ... I trust in what Dowell's doing, and this offense suits me a lot better (than 2022)."

For Loggains, including Rattler in the process was a no-brainer in helping him take ownership of the offense.

"We want him to be the absolute, undoubted leader of the offense — which he is. It wasn't that way when I got here," Loggains said. "It's fun because I've seen both sides. I've seen guys that have lost confidence and go into shells ... I think he feels really good bout not only his ability but his command and being able to work the way he wants to work."

The spark that Rattler unlocked during the Tennessee game continued to grow during spring practice, and his renewed confidence quickly became the story of the Gamecocks' preseason. From the wide receiver room to defensive coordinator Clayton White, nearly everyone in the building has given glowing reviews.

"He's an unbelievable dude. There was (reputation) or a theory about him when he got here, and it was completely wrong," White said. "He's a humble guy, he's a team guy, he's fun ... A lot of people can learn from him in regards to starting over. He's been lights out."

2023 PREDICTIONS: Can South Carolina football exceed expectations in 2023? Our game-by-game predictions

Beamer, who watched Rattler's development since his first days at Oklahoma, sees a different kind of joy in his quarterback this season.

"I think he's just having a lot of fun. Not that he wasn't at Oklahoma, but he's having a lot of fun out there," Beamer said. "He came to me last week and we just talked about this preseason camp and how he and some of the guys were talking that it's really hard but it's been efficient, they love the schedule, they're happy, they love coming over here each day. That mindset he has, it shows in the way he's playing."

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How South Carolina football QB Spencer Rattler got his swagger back