Shea Patterson to Michigan Official

Michigan's MLive homepage welcomes Patterson to U of M.

Ole Miss transfer quarterback Shea Patterson has made his official decision that he will join the Michigan Wolverines for the 2018 football season.  The question is, will Patterson be eligible to play? Ole Miss was hit hard for "lack of institutional control" which penalized the team with a second bowl ban.  The NCAA allowed players who would be seniors in the upcoming season to transfer without having to sit out the following year.  Shea Patterson will be a junior during the 2018 season, so the NCAA's ruling doesn't apply to him.  Patterson will have to apply for an individual waiver from the NCAA in order to play without sitting out a year.

I believe that the NCAA will allow Patterson to play in the 2018 campaign.  The extraordinary circumstances with the Ole Miss Rebels football program should not punish the player.  If Michigan wanted to hire Hugh Freeze as an assistant coach, they could and he would be able to coach during the 2018 season.  Patterson should not be punished for being recruited by a team and a coach and committing to that team.  Freeze's actions and the program's consequences should not reflect on the player.

Peters (#18) will return to fight for the starting QB job in 2018.

If Patterson is granted an individual waiver, he will drastically change the Michigan Wolverines' 2018 outlook.  Quarterback play was a huge letdown after an injury plagued season at the position.  Starter Wilton Speight was lost for the year due to injury and backup Houston transfer John O'Korn was less than stellar to say the least.  Speight has decided to transfer and will be able to play immediately since he graduated,
while O'Korn's career will be over after the Outback Bowl.

The intrigue lies with redshirt freshman Brandon Peters and true freshman (currently redshirting) Dylan McCaffrey, the younger brother of Carolina running back Christian.  Peters looked pretty solid as he replaced John O'Korn en route to a 57.8% completion percentage and a TD-INT ratio of 4-0.  Peters missed the last two games of the year with a concussion, but is listed as probable for the Outback Bowl against South Carolina.  Dylan McCaffrey was a very highly touted pocket passer, who Phil Steele rated as his #4 overall quarterback of the 2017 class.  Patterson transferring could cause a rift that would send either Peters or McCaffrey to transfer if they would lose the quarterback battle.

Along with Peters and McCaffrey, 4-star recruit Joe Milton is planning on enrolling early at Michigan and will be in for the spring.  I would assume that Milton will redshirt for the 2018 season with the crowded quarterback picture.

If eligible, I expect Shea Patterson to take the quarterback position and win the job.  I could see either Peters or McCaffrey transferring, with Peters possibly transferring back to his home state of Indiana.

What the Wolverines are getting in Shea Patterson is a dual threat quarterback whose big play ability will have Michigan fans salivating.  The former #2 ranked quarterback in the 2016 class behind only Georgia's Jacob Eason has electrified fans during his time at Ole Miss.  During his true freshman year, he appeared in three games competing 54.5% of his passes and passing for 880 yards.  Through the first six games of the 2017 season, Patterson was ranked third in passing yards with 2259 and 17 touchdowns.  In the 7th game of the season, the Rebels lost their star QB for the year with a knee injury.  Patterson's experience against the elite SEC defenses will have him prepared to take on Big Ten adversaries.

Could Patterson make the instant impact that Stidham made
for Auburn in 2017?

Jarrett Stidham transferred from Baylor to McLennan Community College after Art Briles' sexual assault scandal.  Stidham chose to sit out the 2016 season and then transfer to Auburn.  Stidham led the Auburn Tigers to a victory over bitter rival and Playoff-bound Alabama en route to a SEC Championship berth.  Ultimately, the Tigers came up short against the Georgia Bulldogs, but Stidham's importance could not be underemphasized.  I can see Shea Patterson having the same impact for Michigan, by stabilizing the quarterback position and helping Michigan's offense get on track.  If Michigan's stout defense has an offense that puts up points in bunches, Michigan will be a potential playoff contender in 2018.

As a Michigan fan, I am somewhat biased, but the sky is the limit for the 2018 season with the Patterson addition.  The Wolverines open the 2018 season with a tough test at Notre Dame that will be a great opportunity to start the season with a resume building win.  With the Patterson announcement coming a few weeks before the holidays, it is safe to say Christmas came early for the Michigan Wolverines football team.

Stay tuned for more college football articles and previews as the 2017 season comes to a close.