Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler have had some tension between them for years. It started in 2021 when they played for the Oklahoma Sooners. Williams joined Oklahoma in 2021, while Rattler was with them since 2019.
In 2021, Rattler was the starting quarterback for the team. He was the star player the franchise had built the entire roster around, and he matched all the hype with his performances. At the beginning of the season, Rattler was being considered a Heisman favorite.
He took the Sooners to a 6-0 start in the 2021 season. At the time, Williams was his backup quarterback. Despite the unbeaten run, Rattler was benched in favor of the freshman quarterback, which changed the trajectory of their careers.
Williams finished the season as the starting QB with an 11-2 record. There were instances where Rattler was booed when he was on the field, fans demanded to see Williams in his place after he threw a pick, and more.
That sparked the tension between them, and the feud is still alive in 2026. Recently, Caleb Williams spoke on taking Rattler’s quarterback job from him.
“It wasn’t a person that I was going against or fighting against,” Williams said. “It was me vs. me, and I want to be in the position that I want to be in. … And I’m going to get there. You’re just in the way.”
Williams was on a mission, and Rattler just happened to be in his way. Things would’ve unfolded the same way if someone else were in Rattler’s position. Shockingly, both players ended up leaving Oklahoma after that season.
Rattler ended his three-year run with the Sooners and went to South Carolina, while Williams left Oklahoma for the USC Trojans.
Caleb Williams Had a Successful College Career
When Williams joined Oklahoma, Rattler was seen as a strong Heisman contender when he served as a backup quarterback. Williams ended up defying all odds in 2022 and won the Heisman Trophy as well as numerous other individual awards, including the AP College Football Player of the Year.
Rattler, on the other hand, struggled in his college career after that. He went from being a Heisman favorite in 2021 to a fifth-round, 150th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He currently plays for the New Orleans Saints.
Williams became the number one draft pick in the same draft class. He joined the Chicago Bears and set the NFL record for most consecutive passing attempts without an interception by a rookie with 354.
Read More:
Are the Bears Moving to Indiana? Stadium Talks Take Unexpected Turn
NFL Franchise Tag Tracker 2026: Top Players Include Kenneth Walker III, George Pickens and More
New York Jets Top 2026 Free Agents Ranked: Who Should Be Aaron Glenn’s Priority Re-Signings?
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
