Michigan Football: What Shea Patterson could mean for Dylan McCaffrey
Michigan football is going after Mississippi quarterback Shea Patterson as a transfer. But what will that mean for Dylan McCaffrey and others if he comes to UM?
The quarterback position for Michigan football has generated a lot of headlines lately. First, there was the transfer of Wilton Speight and now the recruitment of potential transfer Shea Patterson.
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Patterson, a former five-star quarterback, who has 23 career touchdown passes for Mississippi, wants out after the program went on probation and Michigan football looks like a prime target. Yet, if Patterson, who is visiting this weekend, does become a Wolverine, what will that mean for current quarterbacks Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey?
If Patterson does transfer to Michigan and even if he is able to play right away, he will have just two years of eligibility left. Peters has three years left and McCaffrey, who redshirted this past season, has four.
In a dream world, Patterson could play for two years, then Peters and McCaffrey for a year. But in the world of major college football, that’s not how it works. At least not usually.
Patterson coming aboard would trigger an epic quarterback competition between him, Peters, McCaffrey and possibly even Joe Milton, an incoming freshman. The problem, is that at some point, one of the losers would likely leave the program.
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Patterson, Peters, McCaffrey and Milton were all highly-touted quarterbacks coming out of high school. They are four-star kind of guys. They don’t plan to sit on the bench during their college careers. It’s certainly not the reason why they want to play for Michigan football.
So in that sense, Harbaugh needs to be careful. The addition of Patterson, could eventually cost him someone like McCaffrey, Milton or Peters.
Right now, Peters is on track to start the bowl game for Michigan. Then, the Wolverines are set to have Peters, McCaffrey and Milton fight for the starting job next spring and fall. Yet, if Patterson comes along, he would be immediately thrust into the mix.
Patterson is the most experienced and maybe the most dynamic of the four. However, it’s possible he plays just one season. He definitely has NFL talent and one big season could cause him to leave early for the NFL draft.
That’s a possibility, but it’s also possible that McCaffrey, or one of the other quarterbacks decides to transfer instead of waiting his turn. That’s a projection sure, but we can’t act like it doesn’t happen all the time.
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This isn’t to say the Wolverines shouldn’t pursue Patterson, they should. However, Harbaugh needs to be careful, because the future, as well as the present of the quarterback position is at stake.