It was only five years ago when Spencer Rattler was considered the consensus #1 quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class. The assumption was that Rattler, a University of Oklahoma commit, would head to Norman, thrive under Lincoln Riley, and eventually become one of the top quarterbacks taken in a future NFL Draft.

This, of course, is not the way things played out. Spencer Rattler fizzled out at Oklahoma, battling Tanner Mordecai for the starting job in 2020 and eventually losing it to Caleb Williams in 2021. Rattler transferred to South Carolina, where he compiled a 13-12 record in two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Gamecocks. Rattler finished out his collegiate career by winning Senior Bowl MVP, seemingly creating some semblance of momentum for himself as the pre-draft process began.

But it turns it, it wasn't Rattler's up and down collegiate career that resulted in him falling all the way to the New Orleans Saints in the 5th round of the NFL Draft. NFL insider Ian Rapoport suggests it was potentially due to character issues that date back to when he was in high school and a part of Netflix's QB1: Beyond The Lights documentary series that some teams may have been scared away.

The short version of the story goes like this: Spencer Rattler, one of the three high school seniors featured on the show, was eventually deemed ineligible for the final month of his season due to a code of conduct violation. Rattler has since addressed this controversial senior season outcome with Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

“A day or two before the ESPN game, I messed up. It was a code of conduct rule, and I was ineligible, not suspended. It was a childish and dumb mistake,” Rattler said.

There is no definitive answer as to what it was that caused Spencer Rattler to be ruled ineligible, though on the series, both of Rattler's parents denied that there was any crime committed or that it was anything that would go on his school record.

The Quarterback drought of 2024 

The 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft was defined by a record-setting six quarterbacks — Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., JJ McCarthy, and Bo Nix — being selected in the first twelve picks of the opening round. But then surprisingly, 137 picks would go by before the seventh QB, Rattler, was selected by the Saints. This broke the previous NFL Draft record of picks between quarterbacks, set way back in 1972, when Jim Fassel was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 167th pick, 126 picks after the Atlanta Falcons picked Pat Sullivan (h/t Shanna McCarriston of CBS Sports).

With the Saints, Spencer Rattler will get the opportunity to earn the back-up quarterback job behind Derek Carr, who in his first season in New Orleans threw for 3,878 yards and 25 touchdowns.  Carr led the Saints to a 9-8 record that was nearly good enough to secure a Wild Card berth in the NFL Playoffs.