Sam Webb picks Patterson to transfer to Michigan
Webblog: My first Crystal Ball pick is Shea Patterson to #Michigan (VIP) https://t.co/oycTBfWo1T pic.twitter.com/So3uc6WO4P
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) December 6, 2017
December 5th, 2017 at 11:39 PM ^
After that experience with Rudock, why would we want to repeat it?
And this isn't really another one. If Patterson wins the job and plays great, is projected to go high in the draft, he'll go to the NFL in a year. If he doesn't, he won't. This is the situation you're afraid of?
What happens if Peters wins the job and plays just as well? With his superior size, he'll probably be projected to go even higher. What keeps him from leaving early? Look at the depth chart he would leave behind if Patterson isn't on the roster. We might need him more in 2019 that we do in 2018.
We should be more afraid of that, or heaven forbid, getting worse QB play. Preferring to be worse off next season at the most critical position in the hope of avoiding a problem further down the line is not something I would ever expect from Harbaugh. Nor would I want it to be. It's a fear driven and passive attitude than runs counter to winning championships.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^
Rudock was a mess until the IU game. People wanted to bench him for a long time. Patterson will have a bit more time to get used to the playbook, but a second year of Rudock would have been fantastic. 1 year was...fine.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:40 PM ^
I suppose if either Brandon or Dylan who know the playbook, would have the advantage. However, if Patterson beats both of them out during summer practice then he will be the starter. It gives us one more good QB since Wilton will be leaving.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:45 PM ^
@bronxblue - I’m with you...really hoping this doesn’t bite us but fear it will cost us a QB we currently have who knows the system and has great promise if we can fix the fucking OL once and for all.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:55 AM ^
Won’t he be here for two years ?
December 6th, 2017 at 8:10 AM ^
Not sure why everyone is assuming he is one and done. He may need more than one year for NFL development.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:46 AM ^
I mean, he could be. But by all accounts I've read he was going to go pro sorta as soon as possible. I guess if he plays poorly enough to hurt his draft stock then he stays, but that's not a huge positive for Michigan then.
December 6th, 2017 at 7:46 AM ^
I think Little would be the actual prize, here. Michigan is good--and possibly great--at QB, and there's nothing wrong with Patterson providing some competition and depth.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:47 AM ^
Little would be a win, but I doubt he leaves the SEC.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:28 AM ^
We had to bring someone in since we're losing 3 QB's in Speight, O'Korn and Malzone.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:01 AM ^
Remember Ruddddock only came for Fall camp. He had a really compressed timeframe. If Shea comes in January, he will be ready for ND.
December 6th, 2017 at 9:08 AM ^
FWIW, Sam Webb has said that Peters is okay with Patterson coming in. If true, then we have a 3-headed QB monster vying for playing time.
I'm all for seeing how Harbaugh manages a QB controversy when the options are all high-end...
December 6th, 2017 at 9:47 AM ^
If he's happy that's good. I do wonder how everyone is when one of them is one the bench. But that's on Harbaugh to manage.
December 5th, 2017 at 10:40 PM ^
Well, there you have it
December 5th, 2017 at 10:41 PM ^
Just waiting to see how the NCAA is going to find a way to bone us on this.
December 5th, 2017 at 10:43 PM ^
They wouldn't do that to Michigan.
/s
December 6th, 2017 at 8:18 AM ^
I have the same feeling. I'm glad Harbaugh and these transfers are so confident that they are going to play immediately, but the fact is nothing has been made public and most have just gotten lawyers at this point. I'll be fearing the worst, but hoping for the best.
December 5th, 2017 at 10:42 PM ^
C’mon down Shea... and bring some friends too!
December 5th, 2017 at 10:44 PM ^
Can we assume this means 2018 eligibility is a foregone conclusion?
December 5th, 2017 at 10:53 PM ^
Only that they're confident in it, I would guess. Can't be a conclusion yet.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:55 PM ^
After reading Sam’s post, no. Don’t think this is giving away too much premium content, but Shea is ready to come regardless of whether or not he’s eligible and isn’t afraid to compete. Sam also referenced a Dennis Dodd tweet that said playing in The Big House was a dream of Shea’s.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:11 AM ^
Then why didn't he come here in the first place?
December 6th, 2017 at 12:28 AM ^
Don't think we were much of a player for him. Most everyone thought he was a lock to LSU for a while so Michigan recruiting time was spent elsewhere.
December 6th, 2017 at 8:25 AM ^
Didn't Brian say Ole Miss offered his brother a (legitimate, he had years of experience) job?
December 5th, 2017 at 10:46 PM ^
What would be his argument to the NCAA to let him play next year? I thought only the rising seniors at Ole Miss would be immediately eligible. Also I really hope Peters will stick around, I'm still a big, big believer in him.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:12 PM ^
That the NCAA and Ole Miss weren't completely honest about the severity of the penalties.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:54 PM ^
telling them that the NCAA issues were just involving Houston Nutt. Not only would the penalties likely be lighter, but the coach they signed up to play for would still be able to coach them.
December 5th, 2017 at 10:51 PM ^
Man I hope his friends visiting with him this weekend (and Greg Little) come on down too. Ahhhh
December 5th, 2017 at 11:08 PM ^
I don't know if others remember this, but Van Jefferson was really close to committing to Michigan as a recruit. He was a signing day decision. It seems like there would be a good chance he ends up here as well.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:29 PM ^
I member
December 5th, 2017 at 10:51 PM ^
What's wrong with Peters or McCaffrey?
Peters showed he was clearly the best QB in the Spring game. Then, Speight went down in the Purdue game and rather than bringing in Peters, O'Korn was inserted and helped lead the team to victory. That performance apparently cemented his starting status, because the team and fans then suffered through his deer-in-the-headlights performances against Sparty and Penn State. But loyal fans blamed his lack of situational awareness and poise on the offensive line...seriously?
Then when Peters finally got a chance to start, he excelled to the tune of three wins (against crappy teams) and was consistently leading drives against Wisconsin until he got knocked out of the game (yes, the offensive line gets credit for that). But the point remains that he is a damn talented quarterback who deserves the chance to continue to lead the team. Or McCaffrey, who, according to all rave reviews by the insiders, is at least an equally talented and poised next man up.
So rather than give the guys we recruited the chance they deserve and have earned, we will pass them over for another in the growing list of grad transfers. I absolutely detest this strategy, no matter how great the next grad transfer may be. Forget meritocracy. Forget the concept of the student athlete. We're playing the free agent game now going forward, and I don't like it.
December 5th, 2017 at 10:55 PM ^
I think QB depth is nice. Like, better than nice. Maybe, it's super?
I'm not judging but it sounds like you've repressed this year already? Wish I could.
December 5th, 2017 at 10:57 PM ^
We were down to our 3rd QB this year. So you're comfortable with going into next season with two non true freshman QB's? They were not pursuing Patterson until Speight announced he was transferring.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:20 PM ^
Maryland played 4 this year.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:12 AM ^
And 3 of them were actually QBs.
December 6th, 2017 at 6:13 AM ^
Peters would have had to compete with Speight anyway.
December 6th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
When Milton and Doyle arrive, we'll arguably have the best composite QB talent we've had since '97. Yes, two of those will be true freshman, but if necessary, a true freshman can play and has played well in many instances in the B1G, including for Michigan. I'm thinking of Chad Henne, and what about Grbac? Didn't he also play well as a true freshman?
Anyway, going back to 1997, imagine if we were doing the grad transfer free agency stuff back then... a middling incoming freshman guy like Tom Brady would never have had a chance.
December 6th, 2017 at 3:59 PM ^
Those true freshman are a high ceiling low floor super developmental prospect and a low ceiling high floor backup. Starting a freshman dropped FSU from #2 to 6-6. Peters was a redshirt freshman and was barely better than O'Korn and 'ole broken Speight. You really want a worse situation to pop up next year?
And Peters wasn't exactly lighting it up this year. He never passed for more than 157 yards and at 58% 7.5 yards per attempt. We thought Speight would be better this year and he was worse, far worse. You want to risk getting same or worse Peters next year or a McCafrey who looks like Peters did this year when you can get a guy who's expected to be in the NFL shortly?
December 5th, 2017 at 11:01 PM ^
This isn't a D3 school or high school. We haven't beat Ohio State in a while and we haven't won a big ten title in a long time. This is what big time college programs do when they have problems or risk getting left in the dust. OSU added Wilson last year for instance.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:05 PM ^
We may never take a transfer again. That bit at the end is nonsense. Remove it and there's not much else you're saying up there.
Peters was OK. You nor anyone else knows a thing about Mccaffrey. They are not having their chances taken away. They are free to win the job and be great.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:06 PM ^
Do you like winning? Because we'll be doing a lot of that with Patterson next year. You don't turn down a guy with his kind of talent.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:06 PM ^
You know what Harbaugh detests? Losing. He hates it so much that he could give two shits if he’s going to hurt someone’s feelings. Meritocracy - go earn it. If someone wants to transfer out they came to the wrong place to begin with.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:16 PM ^
And if Peters is so star spangled awesome, why in the hell was he 3rd on the depth chart behind O'Korn?
I'd really like an answer to that.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:41 PM ^
Because coaches make mistakes...all the time....get used to it and hope they aren’t making one right now.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:46 PM ^
There was no mistake. Peters didn't do enough to impress the coaches in practice.
Harbaugh plays young guys all over.
Peters enrolled early as well. Peters should be ashamed of himself that he didn't beat out O'Korn and was at one time behind McCaffrey (who was only around for a few months at that time).
December 6th, 2017 at 4:00 PM ^
He wasn't that impressive in games either. He was OK, passing for 130 yards a game without any interceptions is pretty low standards.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:50 PM ^
they knew with the sieve of an OL in front of the QB, you were throwing whoever is back there to the lions. And that was true. So their thinking was, this is not a B1G winner anyway, let's not get the hell beaten out of our future leader (and risk Devin Gardner-ing him with PTSD) if we don't absolutely have to.
JOK's struggles tipped the balance into "have to" territory.
December 5th, 2017 at 11:55 PM ^
I think the coaches thought a little too much of the defense as well.
Don't get me wrong the defense is really good, but it wasn't strong enough at key times.
Offense struggled no doubt, but the defense didn't get the job done in a lot of MUST HAVE spots when you expected.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:19 AM ^
It was called the dog house. Harbaugh did not think Peters worked hard before summer camp and JOK was in better shape and knew the playbook better. Tis the reason JOK was the backup. But just like cream rises to the top, talent rises as well and after the MSU game Harbaugh knew he could not have JOK start anymore games.
December 6th, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
Peters admitted that he took a different approach to practice after Speight was injured. So it looks as if his work ethic improved after that point.