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USATSI

The Spencer Rattler era has officially arrived at Oklahoma after Sooners coach Lincoln Riley announced Tuesday that the redshirt freshman will be the team's starting quarterback to begin the 2020 season. Rattler entered preseason camp as the favorite to replace Jalen Hurts at the position but faced a worthy challenger in redshirt sophomore Tanner Mordecai, who dealt with a hamstring injury during preseason camp.

"It's been a little bit different competition," Riley said. "Spencer, I think, has played very well and is certainly very deserving of it. Disappointed for Tanner Mordecai. He had to end up missing 70 to 75% of fall camp, which obviously severely limited his reps or true opportunities to really go play his best ball and have a shot at it. That's football."

Rattler is a former five-star prospect who ranked as the top quarterback and No. 11 overall player in the class of 2019, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He appeared in just three games last season, which allowed him to enter the 2020 season as a redshirt freshman. He will be Oklahoma's fourth starting quarterback in the past four seasons, following Hurts in 2019, Kyler Murray in 2018 and Baker Mayfield in 2017. Mayfield and Murray took home the Heisman Trophy in 2017 and 2018, respectively, while Hurts finished as runner-up to Joe Burrow last season. 

All three of his most-recent predecessors also led the Sooners to College Football Playoff appearances, and Rattler has the pedigree to keep the streak alive. He threw for 116 touchdowns during his career at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona, and is regarded as a natural passer.