Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams on relationship with Spencer Rattler: 'We weren't best friends, but we didn't hate each other'
NORMAN, Okla. — Caleb Williams wanted to set the record straight.
After not being allowed to speak to the media throughout the season due to a policy of former OU head coach Lincoln Riley about freshmen players, the star quarterback finally broke his silence to the public on Wednesday. Williams made a guest appearance on "The Podcast on the Prairie," which is co-hosted by Sooner tight ends Jeremiah Hall and Brayden Willis.
Williams didn't get asked the question on everyone's mind, which is if he plans to remain with the team following Riley's departure to USC, but he did address another hot topic.
Williams was asked about his relationship with former teammate Spencer Rattler, who lost his starting role to the freshman backup this season. Rattler transferred to South Carolina on Monday.
"Me and Spence, we weren’t best friends," Williams said. "I can say that. We weren’t best friends, but we didn’t hate each other either. There’s a bunch of other guys that I’m not best friends with and don’t hate them, either, on the team."
Since Williams never had the opportunity to explain his relationship with Rattler to the media during the season, this left people to speculate where the two players stood.
Williams, however, said there wasn't much to the situation.
"Everybody tried to make a thing out of nothing throughout the whole season," Williams said. "Just throwing it out there. There was nothing to be made from it. There are guys or girls that you meet all the time that you aren’t best friends with and won’t be best friends with. You don’t hate them, don’t envy them or anything like that."
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Williams never relinquished his starting duties after taking over midway through the season, and it didn't come as a surprise when Rattler entered the transfer portal on Nov. 29.
The former Heisman Trophy front-runner then committed to South Carolina, where he is joined by fellow OU transfer Austin Stogner.
The duo will be reunited with Shane Beamer, who served as the Sooners' assistant head coach and tight ends coach from 2018-20 before becoming the Gamecocks' head coach prior to the start of this season.
"Congrats to them, by the way," Williams said of Rattler and Stogner. "I’m happy for them. It was a fun journey being around them."
Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter.