Spencer Rattler’s parents have been one of the biggest influences on his football career, supporting him from his earliest days in Arizona to the NFL.
Long before he became one of the country’s highest-rated quarterback recruits, he appeared on Netflix’s QB1: Beyond the Lights, starred at Oklahoma and South Carolina, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints.
Mike and Susan Rattler were investing countless hours in helping their son develop both on and off the field.
As Spencer’s profile has grown, many fans have become curious about his family, including who his parents are, what they do, whether he has siblings, and how they helped shape one of college football’s most talked-about quarterbacks.
Spencer Rattler Parents
Spencer was born on September 28, 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona, to parents Mike Rattler and Susan Rattler.
Both parents have largely stayed away from the spotlight despite their son’s national profile, but they have remained a constant presence throughout his football career.
From youth football tournaments to high school games, college matchups, and eventually the NFL Draft, Mike and Susan have regularly supported Spencer at every stage.
Their encouragement helped create the environment that allowed him to become one of Arizona’s greatest high school quarterbacks before developing into an NFL player.
The Rattler family has always emphasized education alongside athletics. Spencer attended Pinnacle High School before enrolling at the University of Oklahoma and later transferring to the University of South Carolina to continue both his academic and football careers.
Mike Rattler
Mike is Spencer’s father. Although he keeps a relatively private life and rarely gives interviews, he has frequently appeared supporting his son during football games and major career milestones.
Mike played an active role throughout Spencer’s youth football development, traveling across Arizona for practices, tournaments, camps, and quarterback competitions.
Friends and coaches have often described Spencer’s parents as being deeply involved in helping him maximize his athletic potential without placing unnecessary pressure on him.
As Spencer’s career progressed, Mike remained one of the people he trusted most when making major football decisions.
Susan Rattler
Susan is Spencer’s mother. She has also maintained a private lifestyle despite her son’s growing popularity.
Susan has been seen supporting Spencer during important moments throughout his college career and has regularly celebrated his achievements on social media.
Away from football, she has been credited with helping Spencer remain grounded despite becoming a nationally recognized athlete while still in high school.
Following difficult moments during his college career, including losing Oklahoma’s starting quarterback job in 2021, Susan continued supporting her son publicly before his successful fresh start at South Carolina.
Career
Spencer’s football reputation was established long before college. At Pinnacle High School, he became one of Arizona’s most decorated quarterbacks.
His accomplishments included:
- Arizona’s all-time passing yards leader at graduation.
- More than 11,000 passing yards. Over 100 touchdown passes.
- Elite 11 MVP in 2018, becoming the first quarterback from Arizona to win the prestigious award.
- Five-star recruit status.
- Consensus top quarterback prospect nationally.
His ability to throw accurately from different arm angles and create plays outside the pocket made him one of the country’s most exciting quarterback prospects.
Recruiting analysts consistently ranked him among the best players in the 2019 recruiting class.
College Football
Spencer enrolled at Oklahoma in 2019 behind starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. He became Oklahoma’s starting quarterback in 2020 and immediately showed why he had been considered one of the nation’s elite recruits.
During his first season as the starter, he threw for more than 3,000 yards and led Oklahoma to a Big 12 Championship while earning First Team All-Big 12 honors.
Expectations entering 2021 were extremely high, with many analysts projecting him as a future first overall NFL Draft pick.
However, early struggles led Oklahoma to replace him with freshman Caleb Williams. The difficult season became one of the biggest turning points of Spencer’s career.
Following the 2021 season, Spencer transferred to South Carolina. The move proved to be exactly what he needed. He regained confidence under head coach Shane Beamer and produced some of the best performances of his college career, including memorable victories over Tennessee and Clemson.
His final college season significantly improved his NFL Draft stock and demonstrated his resilience after facing adversity earlier in his career.
NFL
Spencer entered the 2024 NFL Draft after finishing his college eligibility. The New Orleans Saints selected him in the fifth round, giving the franchise another young quarterback to develop.
His transition to the NFL marked the beginning of a new chapter after one of the most closely followed quarterback journeys in recent college football.
Coaches have continued praising his arm talent, confidence, and ability to make difficult throws, qualities that first made him one of America’s top quarterback prospects.
