Michigan’s quarterback situation was an absolute train wreck this year. However, simply the thought of Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey allowed fans to hold out hope for the future as abysmal quarterback play prevented them from winning big games this year. As Michigan tries to find an answer heading into the 2018 season, the answer may come from an unexpected source.
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Enter Shea Patterson. Patterson was the No. 1 high school quarterback in the nation in 2016 when he decided to commit to Ole Miss. Patterson then took over the starting job as a true freshman for Ole Miss with three games left in the season last year. In those three games, he completed 55% of his passes for 880 yards and six touchdowns.
Ole Miss Football: Could Shea Patterson truly transfer to Michigan? https://t.co/FAVjJKtddH via @saturdayblitz pic.twitter.com/JmIw0IqjrM
— FanSided College (@FanSidedU) November 24, 2017
Patterson followed up his Freshman season by passing for 2259 yards 17 touchdowns on 64% passing. Unfortunately, he only played in seven games this season before tearing a ligament in his knee, which ended his sophomore season. However, in his short sample size, Patterson was able to draw some praise from a certain college football coach that seemingly knows football pretty well.
Saban on Ole Miss QB Shea Patterson: "This guy's got tremendous arm talent … He reminds me a little bit of Johnny Manziel, in a way."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) September 29, 2017
So why would the highly touted sophomore be looking for a new home just a two years into his career at Ole Miss? Well, the Rebels have some serious NCAA sanctions looming due to an alleged 21 violations of NCAA laws. Ole Miss has already given itself a one-year bowl ban but, it appears the NCAA will extend that. Rumors started swirling of Patterson’s transfer this summer immediately after the scandal broke.
CBS Sports writer, Dennis Dodd, had this to say in August:
“To reiterate, [my prediction] was a one-year additional bowl ban, going into 2018 for Ole Miss, a loss of 25 scholarships over three seasons, the usual recruiting restrictions … a multi-million dollar fine — which seems to be a go=to for the ncaa these days – vacating wins, I think that’s obvious, multi boosters being disassociated, which I think has already begun to happen, a show-cause order for Hugh Freeze, which will affect him when and if he wants to get back into the game, and then I think the magic bullet they now have in their holster: Existing players will be allowed to transfer without penalty, and that really hurts,” Dodd said. “That’s what hurt Penn State, among others. They want to teach Ole Miss a lesson, that’s the one that hurts the most.”
The most important content of that quote is that depending on the harshness of the sentence players may be able to transfer without sitting out a year. This does not mean Patterson would come right in and claim the starting job at Michigan. He would still have to come in and beat out Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey, who are both oozing with potential. Patterson would have one thing on his side, experience. Experience of starting and winning in the SEC.
More than 112,000 people attended “The Game” this year at the Big House, yet no one’s presence more intriguing than Shea Patterson’s alleged attendance. Ole Miss’s season ended on Thursday when they upset Mississippi State 31-28. Since then online blogs and rumor boards have been going crazy about Shea Patterson’s alleged appearance at “The Game” on Saturday.
Although these could simply be rumors, there is some traction. Jim Harbaugh has a track record of bringing in transfer QB’s, Jake Ruddock and John O’Korn. Also, social media has become a platform for breaking news and Shea Patterson may have tipped his hat when he like an Instagram post with the hashtag #SheaToUofM.
For now, it is hard to tell the seriousness of this situation as Patterson has repeatedly declared his loyalty to Ole Miss.
“Like I said, it’s just all so much right now,” Patterson said. “I love this university, love my teammates and with camp being August 2, all I want to do is go out there and play with the brothers that I love, with the game I love, and can’t wait to start this new offense with Coach Longo
For now, this is pure speculation but rumors are swirling and where there is smoke, sometimes there is fire. Was it pure coincidence that the Toledo, Ohio native was just going to the game on Saturday as a pure spectator? Yes. Could it also have bigger intentions? Yes.
In a day were both Wilton Speight and Alex Malzone have announced their intentions to transfer could Michigan be bringing in another quarterback. As of today, there is a long way to go for this to materialize but there might be a start.
Were Patterson to transfer from Ole Miss virtually every school in the nation will give him a call to gauge his interest but appears Michigan is off to a good start. That’s if they want him. Jim Harbaugh who is outspoken about his love for competition and meritocracy surely wouldn’t turn down a quarterback that Saban compared to Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel, would he?
