Getty The Cowboys could be an ideal landing spot for South Carolina's Spencer Rattler.
The Dallas Cowboys could be an ideal landing spot for a “polarizing” quarterback.
The Cowboys will likely enter the draft without a contract extension in place for Dak Prescott. That means Dallas could very well be without its starting quarterback following the 2024 season. With that in mind, Dallas could very well target a quarterback at some point during the 2024 NFL draft.
As Fox Sports suggests, the Cowboys could consider potential options such as Bo Nix or Michael Penix with their 24th overall pick in the first round. However, if Dallas doesn’t land one of the second-tier quarterback options late in the first round, they could always target a player such as South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler in the later rounds of the draft. Rattler is a projected third-round pick.
“That said, Penix (Washington) and Nix (Oregon) were each 2023 Heisman Trophy finalists and had decorated two-year stints at their respective school. South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler is another potential option for Dallas.”
Spencer Rattler Was Considered Favorite to win Heisman Trophy
The 23-year-old Rattler was once considered the top quarterback in the nation. Coming out of high school in 2019, Rattler was considered the top quarterback prospect in the nation. It didn’t take him long to make his impact felt at the collegiate level. During the 2020 season, Rattler emerged as the Oklahoma Sooners’ starting quarterback and led the team to a 9-2 record and Big 12 Championship. He threw for 28 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
Entering the 2021 season, Rattler was considered the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. However, as quickly as Rattler’s star rose, it fell. Despite going 6-0 as the starter to begin the season, he was replaced by Caleb Williams in the Sooners’ rivalry matchup with the Texas Longhorns after turning the ball over twice and trailing 35-17.
Caleb Williams — the projected No. 1 pick in this year’s draft — then led the Sooners to a 55-48 win after trailing by 21 points.
Rattler never started another game for the Sooners.
He then transferred to South Carolina where he started over the past two seasons. While he never regained the elite form that made him a potential candidate for the Heisman Trophy in Oklahoma, he had steady success with the Gamecocks. Rattler led the Gamecocks to an 8-5 record during the 2022 season, including a No. 23 finish in the AP polls. During the 2023 season, Rattler threw 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions for a career-high 3,186 passing yards.
Why Spencer Rattler is Considered a ‘Polarizing’ Prospect
As Corey Bonini of The Huddle notes, Rattler is a “polarizing” prospect due to his smallish frame at just 6-feet tall. However, his arm talent is up there with the very best prospects in this year’s draft, including Williams.
“South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler may be somewhat of a polarizing prospect due to his smallish frame and ball-security concerns vs. plus passing traits and mobility.”
The Cowboys are considered a “sleeper” team to select a quarterback in the draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Considering Dallas is still sending the message that they plan to offer Prescott a long-term contract, selecting Rattler in the middle rounds of the draft accomplishes two things — it gives them an insurance policy and it doesn’t send the message that he’s a direct threat to Prescott.