On Monday, several offensive players for the South Carolina Football team sat down with the media after practice for Spring Football, and of course that included presumptive starting QB, Spencer Rattler. Rattler had plenty to say about how he's adjusting to life with the Gamecocks and his mindset as he uses these Spring Practices to prepare for a much anticipated 2022 College Football Season.

Spencer Rattler was running a very different system at Oklahoma University a year ago, and he's bringing some aspects with him to South Carolina. When asked about how he's adjusting to a new offense Rattler mentioned, "There's definitely a lot of new stuff I'm learning, and having a great time doing it...I feel really comfortable right now, but there are always those little tweaks...That's why I love Coach Satt[erfield] and Beamer 'cause they're always open to input."

Rattler also mentioned how some of those tweaks extend to the QB room, where he mentioned guys are competing, but also all helping each other as teammates. "We all have a good time when we're hanging out," Rattler said about the other QBs. Though Rattler, hasn't been officially named the starter, it's likely that announcement will "come soon" as Coach Satterfield said last week, and Shane Beamer today mentioned in his Tuesday press conference that Rattler has taken all the 1st-team reps this Spring.

At Oklahoma, Rattler rarely huddled, instead of taking signals from the sideline and relaying plays via barking verbal cues at the line. South Carolina though, runs more pro-style sets and does use huddling as a way to set up their play calls. Rattler said it didn't take too long to adjust this Spring: "I've been in the huddle before. I know how to communicate well...you gotta be really precise...that's one thing we always focus on, getting a clean clap out of the huddle and having urgency getting up to the line." When asked to elaborate on the "clean clap" my favorite out of context quote from Spencer was: "no one likes a sloppy huddle."

In that huddle, will be a mix of new and old faces at Wide Reciever. Through the first few practices, Rattler emphasized, "Josh Vann...he's made a lot of big plays for us. Zay, referring to Xavier Legette....E.J. looking really good...Antwane Wells looks great...everybody looks good" Rattler also revealed that TE Jaheim Bell pulled his hamstring last week, but looked good in their first practice together.

The other concern from last year is how the OLine will hold up with another year of experience under their belt. Rattler singled out Center Eric Douglas as the leader of the group, and the QB seemed pleased with the "clean pocket" created by the line through the first few practices. "We have our first scrimmage Saturday, so that's when we'll really get to see," concluded Rattler.

"That's the reason I chose to come here" Rattler said when asked about how much the coaches are letting him freelance within the offense and "call his own number" from time to time. "Satt told me the first day, 'Just be you, just be you.'..sometimes you have to call your own number, run, get out of the pocket, make a play to get it to somebody open." It would seem that the Gamecocks are comfortable letting their new QB make plays, an element they were often lacking with the medley of options that played in 2021. "A lot of [the sacks last year] were QB's running out when they should have stepped up, and I've caught myself doing that too, but we just gotta rep and rep and rep and rep stepping up in the pocket, having that pocket clean, and if it ain't there just tuck it and go." Rattler continued when referring to how having an experienced OLine and QB should clean up some of the issues seen last season.

- On DBs Cam Smith, Darius Rush and others so far: "They've given me a lot of good work...they're real athletic...long, fast, aggressive...it's definitely a competition every single day. They're going to make our receivers and myself better.

- On his and Coach Shane Beamer's relationship: "At Oklahoma, he was mainly with his position group...him being around more [here]...we're still getting closer every day...[our relationship] has gotten [even] better and I love Coach Beamer."