Michigan Football What They're Saying: Shea Patterson To U-M
Former Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson announced on Monday that he will be transferring to Michigan, and the topic has dominated headlines ever since.
Seemingly every publication/outlet has an opinion on the matter, and The Wolverine has decided to take a closer look at some of the articles that have been written about the sophomore quarterback over the past few days:
Chris Balas, TheWolverine: Shea Patterson to Michigan Adds Competition, Makes Perfect Sense
"Patterson extends plays, and has a knack for knowing when to leave the pocket. He sees the field better than anyone on U-M’s roster, Rivals.com national analyst Mike Farrell said, and will be the favorite to start the season opener at Notre Dame next year should he be cleared.
"[Redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon] Peters and [freshman quarterback Dylan] McCaffrey will have a say, however, and as one astute observer recently noted, 'State Street quarterback competition is back.' Great quarterback battles helped U-M win titles many years, from Demetrius Brown/Michael Taylor, Elvis Grbac/Todd Collins and the teams of the mid-90s that saw four guys earn time in the NFL (Brady, Henson, Scott Dreisbach and Brian Griese).
"They may not all like it, but it could be their own blessings in disguise."
Kyle Rowland, Toledo Blade: Shea Patterson Details his Decision to Come to Michigan
"The Ole Miss media guide lists Patterson’s hometown as Shreveport, La., and prior to that, he lived in Texas. But Patterson’s roots are in the Glass City. He was born in Toledo and raised in the city until his family moved when Patterson was 11.
"He still has grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who populate Toledo and its surrounding suburbs. Growing up less than an hour from Ann Arbor, it was easy to find a favorite college football team.
"'Michigan’s always been in my blood, especially growing up in Toledo,' Patterson said. 'I was a huge Michigan fan. My parents were and a lot of my relatives still are season-ticket holders. That really drew me to it.'
"Prior to Saturday’s impromptu visit to Michigan Stadium, which featured Patterson throwing snowballs, his last appearance in the Big House came in 2011 when the venue hosted its first-ever night game, a dramatic last-second victory over Notre Dame.
"The Wolverines open next season under the lights in Notre Dame Stadium, a game that could be Patterson’s Michigan debut.
"'Man, you couldn't ask for much more,' he said. 'They have two good quarterbacks I’m looking forward to competing with in the spring.'"
Joe Horne, Michigan Sports Zone: Shea Patterson's Impact on Michigan
"The most recent news coming out of Ann Arbor is that Shea Patterson, (5-star, No. 1 quarterback recruit, and No. 3 overall recruit in the nation two years ago), has officially committed to transfer to Michigan from Ole Miss. Some people are very excited that he has come, but some still have their doubts. Let me break down all of the great stuff that is going to come from this.
"Competition
"People are worried that Michigan is wasting Brandon Peters, Dylan McCaffrey, and [Orlando Olympia four-star quarterback] Joe Milton by bringing Patterson to U-M. All it is doing is bringing more competition to the QB race.
"Nobody has won the QB battle yet. All it means is that everybody is going to have to work harder and elevate their game if they want the starting job.
"If Peters or McCaffrey starts over Patterson, that just means that Harbaugh thinks he is better than the other candidates. We should all be fine with whoever he puts back there."
Pete Fiutak, College Football News: Shea Patterson Will Transfer to Michigan: What Does it all Mean?
"What is Michigan getting?
"The SEC’s best quarterback, or maybe behind [Auburn's] Jarrett Stidham and [Mississippi State's] Nick Fitzgerald – but not far off.
"Patterson got hurt midway through the season, but not before he threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine picks, hitting the 300-yard mark against everyone but Alabama, and in the game he got hurt against LSU.
"As a freshman, he came on late to throw for 880 yards and six scores in the final three games of his freshman season, and now it’ll be his job to try beating out Peters and taking over the Michigan attack. And that’s not a lock.
"The problem is with the picks, throwing 12 in just 10 games – Harbaugh won’t stand for that. He also won’t add any mobility.
"However, if he’s able to progress and keep the mistakes to a minimum, all of a sudden, Michigan has a guy who could grow into a superstar. At the very least, he adds more depth, another option, and an amazing part of the puzzle this summer once he’s healthy again.
"First, he has to come back from a knee injury – a torn PCL – but he’s expected to be ready for the season.
"Once he’s back, he’s it. He’s the guy. And if he’s not, that means Michigan has someone else – like Peters – who’s just that good.
"That’s not a bad thing – now beat Ohio State. (Might as well get this party started early)."
Aaron McCann, MLive: Michigan Players, Commit React to Shea Patterson Transfer
"'History repeats itself,' Michigan [freshman] offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz wrote on Twitter. 'Welcome to family, brotha. #GoBlue.'
"Ruiz played with Patterson in 2015 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
"After Patterson's weekend visit to Michigan, Ruiz told reporters: 'He'd be a good fit in anybody's program. He's a great quarterback.'
Two hours after Patterson's announcement, Michigan [freshman] receiver Tarik Black, who has recovered from a broken foot suffered earlier in the season, wrote on Twitter: 'Competition makes you better.'
"It's a line we've heard before -- from Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, his assistant coaches, and more recently, outgoing [fifth-year senior] defensive tackle Maurice Hurst. The All-American lineman was asked last week about the potential for players to transfer in to the program, for which he replied, 'I've always been one to believe that competition brings out the best in everyone.'
"That seems to be how incoming freshman quarterback Joe Milton is taking it, too. Milton is one of two quarterbacks to commit to Michigan for the class of 2018, but now he'll have another arm to beat out the next two seasons for playing time.
"'One thing my beautiful mom taught me is to never run from anything #DontSleepOnMe,'" Milton wrote on Twitter Monday afternoon.
John Niyo, Detroit News: Can Patterson Help Michigan win Arms Race?
"Filling a need
"That’s the real payoff here for Harbaugh and his staff, who just landed one of the better young passing talents from the SEC — a player that some recruiting analysts had pegged as the nation’s top quarterback in the class of 2016 — to a roster that seems well-stocked at just about every other position. And to a program that’s had too many question marks at the most important position for far too long.
"Injuries and ineffective play forced Harbaugh to use three different starting quarterbacks this season: First [redshirt junior] Wilton Speight, then [fifth-year senior] John O’Korn and finally Peters, who’ll get another start for the Wolverines in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1. But none of them was able to lift Michigan past their rivals in a competitive Big Ten East division.
"Michigan ranked 110th in pass efficiency, 111th in passing yards, and only seven FBS teams threw fewer touchdown passes this season. More telling, O’Korn and Peters combined to go 60-of-121 for 735 yards and one touchdown with four interceptions in Michigan’s four losses. Most of that was O’Korn’s work, of course. All but the three quarters of the Wisconsin game that Peters played, in fact.
"Yet coupled with Speight’s decision to transfer, that’s all the more reason why Harbaugh needed to bring in another transfer quarterback — his third in four years. At the very least, he needs the experienced depth — Peters’ 64 snaps were the only regular-season action any of the returnees could claim — and the competition."
"Harbaugh has felt the pressure of a dissatisfied fan base for the first time in his tenure in Ann Arbor.
"Let’s look at obvious facts: he did not win a conference championship in the Pac-12 nor has he yet to win the Big Ten East. He finished third his first two seasons and fourth in 2017. Going 5-4 in the division has been grounds in the past for firing at Michigan. Harbaugh is feeling the pressure and desperate men do anything they have to do. Patterson is a world-class talent, however, can that talent shine in a pro-style offense that runs the ball on first and second down?
"MSU is not about the hype of an offseason but about results on the field. U-M has won the hype and the offseason yet the Spartans continue to win in this rivalry.
"What difference will Patterson make? Probably not much, although the hype will reach a fever pitch if Patterson is able to get on the field in 2018. As for the Spartans, they’ll continue to ‘focus on beating Michigan.’ The rivalry will continue much to the dismay of Jim Harbaugh."
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