College Football: Top 5 early breakout candidates for 2020 season
By Dante Pryor
Spencer Rattler is the first non-transfer quarterback to start for the Sooners in the brief Lincoln Riley era and the first since Trevor Knight in 2014. This being Rattler’s first year as a starting quarterback should be of little consequence.
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Oklahoma’s last two transfer quarterbacks, Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray, respectively, put up ridiculous numbers as one-year starters. Besides, Rattler has been in the program for a season as well.
Rattler is poised for a breakout season for three reasons. First, Oklahoma needs him to have a breakout season. The Sooners did not go the transfer portal route this time and he was the crown jewel of Oklahoma’s 2019 recruiting class.
Second, the Sooner offense is quarterback driven. Jalen Hurts had an outstanding season for Oklahoma, but Rattler is a better fit for the offense. He’s the total package as a quarterback. He wants to stay in the pocket and throw, but he is athletic enough to avert danger with his legs.
Most importantly, this might be Oklahoma’s most talented receiving group ever. That’s sort of odd to say without Marquise”Hollywood” Brown or Cedarian “CeeDee” Lamb. However, the Sooners return four young and talented receivers in veteran Charleston Rambo, Jadon Haslewood, Theo Wease, Trejan Bridges and Austin Stogner.
They might lack experience, but they are all blue-chippers, just like Rattler.