Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley named redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler as the Sooners starting quarterback on Tuesday.
Hell be the 4th starting quarterback for the Sooners in the past four seasons, following Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, all of whom were transfers who formerly began for other schools.
” Spencer has played very well and definitely very deserving of it,” Riley said of the quarterback competitors with redshirt sophomore Tanner Mordecai. “I just seemed like there sufficed separation right now.”
Riley stated he provided Rattler a scholarship during his freshman year in high school, earlier than he normally likes to. Rattler was ESPNs No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the no. and the nation 29 general prospect in the 2019 ESPN 300. At Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, he set an Arizona state record with 11,083 passing backyards and he tossed 116 TD passes. He ran for more than 1,000 lawns with 14 rushing TDs in his high school career.
1 RelatedRattler appeared in three video games for Oklahoma last year, going 7-for-11 for 81 lawns and a touchdown, with 3 carries for 23 yards.
Mordecai suffered an injury in fall practice and missed out on some time while battling for the beginning area.
” He ended up missing about 70 to 75% of fall camp, which undoubtedly badly limited his true opportunities to truly go play his finest ball and have a shot at it. But thats football,” Riley stated.
Mayfield and Murray each won a Heisman Trophy and were No. 1 general picks in the NFL draft. In 2015, Hurts finished as the Heisman runner-up and was a second-round choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2020 draft.
Riley stated training a young gamer like Rattler who has actually never ever been a college starter, will not affect how he approaches the position.
” I always coach differently,” Riley stated, noting that he is pleased with depth at the quarterback with Mordecai, freshman Chandler Morris and senior Tanner Schafer. “Guys find out differently, people need different things and have different strengths and weak points. These people are more than efficient in running this offense and playing the position the way we expect it to be played. I believe weve got some great gamers around them, and our expectations for how they play and for how our offense plays, thats certainly not altered.”
Riley stated its hard to identify a comparison for Rattler to Murray, Mayfield or Hurts.
” There are some bits and pieces of all of them,” Riley said. Probably a little bit more outgoing, possibly someplace in between Kyler and Baker a little bit.
Riley stated he provided Rattler a scholarship during his freshman year in high school, earlier than he normally likes to. Rattler was ESPNs No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation and the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2019 ESPN 300.” I always coach differently,” Riley said, noting that he is pleased with depth at the quarterback with Mordecai, freshman Chandler Morris and senior Tanner Schafer.” There are some bits and pieces of all of them,” Riley stated.
