Harbaugh Gets His Man: Shea Patterson To Transfer To Michigan
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Michigan was in desperate need of a quarterback this season, and Jim Harbaugh just landed a new one.
Shea Patterson, the top-ranked dual threat quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class, announced on Monday he is transferring to Michigan from Ole Miss.
It's not yet clear whether he'll be eligible for the 2018 season, but the Patterson family is reportedly confident he can win an appeal. Ole Miss is on probation through the 2020 season.
Patterson was in Ann Arbor over the weekend, taking in Michigan's basketball game versus UCLA, and announced his decision Monday afternoon on Twitter.
"Thank you to the wonderful people, teammates and coaches at Ole Miss," Patterson wrote. "It is a special place and I will always have great memories of my experiences at Oxford. I am now excited to announce my commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at The University of Michigan. It's time to go to work. #GoBlue"
In his first full season as the Rebels' starting quarterback, Patterson passed for 2,259 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in October.
Michigan used three quarterbacks this season in Wilton Speight, John O'Korn and Brandon Peters, none of whom were all that impressive. The Wolverines went 8-4 and finished fourth in the Big Ten East.
Last month, Speight and Alex Malzone both announced they are transferring. Michigan returns Peters and Dylan McCaffrey at quarterback. They'll both compete with Patterson, if he's deemed eligible by the NCAA, for the starting job next season.
Michigan is also pursuing safety Deontay Anderson and wide receiver Van Jefferson from Ole Miss. They were in Ann Arbor with Patterson.
