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Oklahoma football: Ranking the 10 most important Sooners for 2021

By Chip Rouse

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 23: Safety Pat Fields #10, and offensive lineman Marcus Alexander #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners run onto the field for a game against the TCU Horned Frogs on November 23, 2019 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. OU held on to win 28-24. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 23: Safety Pat Fields #10, and offensive lineman Marcus Alexander #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners run onto the field for a game against the TCU Horned Frogs on November 23, 2019 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. OU held on to win 28-24. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) warms up before the game against the Florida Gators at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) warms up before the game against the Florida Gators at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1 — Redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler

As Spencer Rattler rolls, so rolls the Oklahoma offense. It took a few games last season for Rattler to get his feet under him as the field general of the Sooners high-powered offensive machine, but after he was benched late in the first half of the game with Texas, he led the Sooners to eight consecutive wins, including a 55-20 blowout win over Florida in the New Year’s Six Cotton Bowl Classic.

Rattler finished his first season as the next man up in the Sooners’ historic run of Heisman-caliber starting quarterbacks with 3,31 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He also rushed 81 times for 160 yards and six rushing touchdowns. He threw for more than 200 yards in 10 games.

Pro Football Focus rated Rattler as the 13th best college player in the nation regardless of position. His 92.5 passing grade by PFF was the third-best nationally.

The Oklahoma quarterback is shouldering extremely high expectations in the 2021 season, but head coach Lincoln Riley says Rattler improved with every game a year ago and he is ready to take the next step, which in Rattler’s case is living up to his All-American expectations and taking the Sooners far into the postseason.

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