Ranking the top 10 college football quarterbacks playing in 2020 (We miss Justin Fields)

No. 8 quarterback in college football: Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

Putting Spencer Rattler among the top 10 quarterbacks for the 2020 college football season is, obviously, all based on projection and assumption. As a true freshman sitting behind Jalen Hurts last year, Rattler appeared in only three games for the Sooners and threw only 11 passes. Overall, he went 7-for-11 for 81 yards and a touchdown while rushing three times for 23 yards as well.

The biggest reason for optimism, though, is the offense that Rattler is taking control of. Not only is Oklahoma rife with weaponry at the young quarterback’s disposal but Lincoln Riley’s offense has done nothing but produce gem seasons from players at the position. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray both won Heisman Trophies while Hurts was a finalist. Those are big shoes to fill but it speaks to the friendliness of Riley’s offense.

Moreover, Rattler is immensely talented as a young prospect. While he’s set to be the first home-grown starting quarterback under Riley, he was the No. 1 pro-style quarterback and the No. 11 overall recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2019 class. So this is clearly a player who has the tools to be a playmaker regardless of the offense he’s in.

Inserting a player who has played fewer than two-dozen snaps at the college level as one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the country feels a bit risky. Combining the pedigree of Rattler as a recruit with the offense he’s taking over, though, believing that the redshirt freshman will come in and thrive isn’t a difficult jump to make.