Michigan football: Former Wolverine picked No. 1 in USFL draft
Tuesday evening, the United States Football League held their first-ever draft. In the new league’s first draft, the Michigan Panthers selected a former Wolverine, taking Shea Patterson No. 1 overall. The Michigan football standout will now work with Michigan Panthers’ head coach Jeff Fisher to bring Michigan their first pro football championship since 1957.
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Patterson at Ole Miss
Shea Patterson began his collegiate career at the University of Mississippi before transferring to Michigan as a junior for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Coming into college, Patterson was rated as a five-star recruit, No. 4 nationally, and No. 1 pro-style quarterback. Patterson’s career truly started in Oxford with the Rebels in 2017, where he proved as early as his sophomore season that he could be a college football star.
Though Patterson did not get a chance to play very much during his freshman season in 2016, he became the Rebels’ starting quarterback in 2017 as a sophomore. During his sophomore season, Patterson threw for 2,259 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in just seven games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
After the 2017 season, Ole Miss was hit with NCAA sanctions which allowed Patterson to leave the program without penalty. The former five-star eventually landed with Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines.
Patterson at Michigan
During his time with the Wolverines, Patterson threw for 5,661 yards and 45 touchdowns while tossing only 15 interceptions. Patterson ended his time with Michigan football with a 144.2 passer rating and was eventually be picked up by the Kansas City Cheifs as an undrafted free agent.
In 2018 Shea Patterson led Michigan football to a 10-3 season, picking up many vital wins on the Wolverines’ “revenge tour” that was cut short in their final week against the Buckeyes. Still, Michigan football picked up season-defining wins against No. 24 Michigan State (21-7), No. 15 Wisconsin (38-13), and No. 14 Penn State (42-7).
In 2019, Michigan football underwhelmed on their way to a 9-4 season, yet still managed to pick up impressive wins over No. 14 Iowa (10-7), unranked Michigan State (44-10), and No. 8 Notre Dame (45-14). Though Michigan did not live up to their preseason hype, the Wolverines still finished No. 18 in the country in the final AP poll of the season.
Patterson ended his Michigan career with a record of 19-7 overall, 2-0 against Michigan State, and 1-1 against both Penn State and Wisconsin.
What to expect in the USFL
Patterson brings a wide variety of options to the table for Jeff Fisher and the Michigan Panthers. With a combination of speed and athletic skill, Patterson mostly fits into a read-option scheme; however, he has proven himself as a pocket passer and a scrambler. With a solid team around him and the right coaching to match, Patterson could easily lead the Panthers to a USFL title.
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In 2022, Patterson will once again represent the state of Michigan, but this time will be in burgundy and gold for the USFL’s inaugural season.