Jim Harbaugh has a new quarterback to mold, as Shea Patterson announced Monday that he is transferring to Michigan. Patterson, a former No. 1 recruit in the 2016 class, is the highest-ranked quarterback that Harbaugh has ever had. Even Andrew Luck, whom Harbaugh coached at Stanford, was only a four-star recruit.
— Shea Patterson (@SheaPatterson_1) December 11, 2017
The now-former Ole Miss QB announced he was exploring the possibility of a transfer a few weeks ago after NCAA penalties against Ole Miss were announced. The possibility is now a reality.
There is still a question of whether Patterson will be eligible to play in 2018. While the NCAA announced all Ole Miss seniors could transfer without sitting out the requisite season, other players will have to appeal to the NCAA first. Should Patterson win his appeal, he'll be eligible to play in 2018. If not he'll have to sit out the season and won't be able to play until 2019, but no matter what happens, he'll have two seasons left to play.
Patterson is a former five-star recruit that was rated the No. 1 quarterback in the 2016 class in 247Sports' composite rankings. Patterson took over the starting job at Ole Miss late in the 2016 season and threw for 880 yards and six touchdowns in three games. He opened the 2017 season as the starter and threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns before missing the final five games of the year with a knee injury.