Spencer Rattler impresses more than Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix during Senior Bowl practices

Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

So far, the top quarterback at the Senior Bowl hasn’t been Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix. Instead, it’s been the largely forgotten about Spencer Rattler, who was once viewed as a potential future first-round pick early on in his college career.

While Rattler doesn’t have the career accolades of some of his peers at the Senior Bowl, all that matters is how he performs during practices and during the actual game portion of the event, set for Saturday. Based on all accounts, Rattler is crushing the process so far.

Spencer Rattler impresses more than fellow QBs at Senior Bowl

According to NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler, the quarterback who has improved his draft stock the most during Senior Bowl week has been Spencer Rattler of the South Carolina Gamecocks. This is a bit of a surprise, considering Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix also came into the event with plenty of motivation after their Bowl game losses.

Yet, Rattler has an even bigger chip on his shoulder after experiencing early success in Oklahoma, only to never regain his top form again. The traits have always been there for Rattler, and he certainly has the arm talent, but he struggled to put it all together at Oklahoma and at South Carolina.

But now he’s headed to the NFL, and Rattler’s already making a strong impression on pro talent evaluators. Here’s what Brugler had to say about his evaluation of Rattler.

“I wrote that Rattler was the quarterback who could “make the greatest jump during the draft process,” and I thought this week’s practices were a nice first step toward that. Rattler showed off his outstanding arm talent and delivered well-timed, tight spirals to all levels of the field. He also displayed the ability to layer throws, giving his receivers a chance to go make a play.”
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler on Spencer Rattler

However, while Rattler looked good in practice, as we’ve seen, once the games begin, it’s often a different story. That could be true when the actual Senior Bowl gets underway, too, as the pace will be much quicker and much more competitive than what happens at practice. Still, if Rattler can combine a strong week of practice with an impressive performance once the Senior Bowl kicks off, he could see his draft stock continue to climb.