Shea Patterson: What is next for the new Michigan football quarterback?

Michigan football fans got big news as Mississippi quarterback Shea Patterson announced officially that he is transferring to UM. But What does it mean?

For the past week or so, Michigan football fans, myself included, have been obsessed with Shea Patterson and whether or not he would transfer to UM and play for the Wolverines.

After a lot of speculation, one official visit to Ann Arbor and a lot of rumors of whether he can play or not in 2018, Patterson made his announcement official Monday.

The top-ranked quarterback of the 2016 recruiting class made his decision public on twitter Monday morning.

The move definitely made some waves in the college football world. Many people see the Wolverines as a good team, just one that hasn’t been able to find a quarterback. Obviously, with Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey, that’s not necessarily true, just the image that’s out there.

Even Paul Finebaum, who never misses a chance to knock Michigan, approved of the move, saying it could make the Wolverines national title contenders.

Harbaugh was able to land a quarterback that has proven to be an electrfying talent, even in the SEC, a conference known for its fierce defenses. In two seasons and 10 games for Ole Miss, Patterson threw 23 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He also had one rushing touchdown last season.

Patterson is a playmaker, but he’s definitely not conservative. If you are sick of conservative quarterback play, then Patterson is your guy, cause he will have no part of that.

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However, there are still a lot of questions regarding his eligibiliy next season. As we outlined last week, he still needs to get a waiver approved by the NCAA, something that has not happened yet, despite what some might think.

Ole Miss does have special transfer circumstances in place. Yet, those are only for seniors, who are eligible to play right away wherever they go. The Rebels did waive any restrictions, so guys like Patterson could go where they want. But that does not mean underclassmen are automatically eligible.

Certainly, with everything that happened, one would think the NCAA would be inclined to let Patterson play next season. Yet, with the NCAA, anything can happen.

The bigger question is what happens if Patterson can play right away? How will his decision to join the program affect others such as Peters, McCaffrey and incoming freshman Joe Milton?

Milton, a four-star freshman, announced on twitter yesterday, that he is not backing down.

We all know that Harbaugh loves competition. We also know he hasn’t found the quarterback that can take him to the promise land yet. So it’s not a surprise to see him go after Patterson.

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Peters, McCaffrey and Milton will all get their shot to win the starting job. And regardless of what many think, it won’t be handed to Patterson. The quarterback competition was always going to be interesting. But now, it’s gone to a whole new level.