At one point this year, Spencer Rattler was a Heisman candidate and one of the most talked about quarterbacks in the entire country. He is no longer a candidate, but is still being talked about, but in a much different way after being benched against the Texas Longhorns.
Norman-based Fowler Automotive Group believed in rattler as they gifted him two new vehicles — a 2021 Dodge Ram TRX and 2021 Dodge Charger Scat Pack — as part of the name, image and likeness (NIL) deal.
“Being QB1 for one of the best football programs in the country is hard work but all the hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed,” Fowler Automotive wrote on Twitter. “Fowler Automotive wanted to find a way to keep our boy Spencer Rattler comfortable, when he is driving to and from practice, and even though there is only one Spencer, having just one car wasn’t going to be enough, so we went big with two vehicles.”
Fast forward to October and it appears that Rattler might be riding the bench for the remainder of the year
CBS’ Dennis Dodd reached out to Jonathan Fowler, president of Fowler Automotive, to get his reaction to the sudden and unexpected change.
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“Whether [Rattler] starts or doesn’t start, the truth is we didn’t go into the partnership just for a return on investment,” said Fowler. “I hate that he’s having to go through this type of scrutiny as a student-athlete, but I certainly understand. I assume he does, too.”
Rattler has regularly gone big since becoming the Sooners’ full-time signal caller, throwing three-plus touchdowns in six of his 13 games as a starter and clearing 300 yards five times. His performance in 2020 made him the Heisman favorite and presumptive No. 1 NFL Draft pick heading into the ’21 season.
At this point of the season, Rattler probably wouldn’t be selected in the first three rounds.
