Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, the preseason Heisman favorite who was benched early in the season, announced on Monday that he is entering the NCAA transfer portal.

“Sooner Nation: Thank you for allowing me to be a student-athlete at this prestigious institution,” he wrote, while also thanking teammates and coaches. “We won several games together and made memories that I will cherish forever.”

“Thank you again, Oklahoma,” he concluded. “I will miss you.”

Rattler started all 11 games as a redshirt freshman last season, throwing for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He was the AP first-team and All-Big 12 quarterback.

Coming into this season, he was a heavy favorite for the Heisman, following in the footsteps of Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, who won Heisman Trophies under Lincoln Riley, and Jalen Hurts, who was a Heisman finalist with Rattler as a backup.

But Rattler was benched for the second straight year during the Sooners’ rivalry game with Texas.

Last year, he reentered the game and led OU to a victory. This season, true freshman Caleb Williams came in, rallied against Texas to a thrilling 21-point comeback and kept a hold on the starting job.

Rattler, an Arizona native who was the No. 1 quarterback prospect and No. 29 overall recruit in the 2019 ESPN 300, will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Riley accepted the head-coaching position at USC on Sunday, and the Sooners have lost several commitments since.
Sourced from ESPN