From the moment Shea Patterson was officially cleared to play college football at No. 14 Michigan this season, he was the most likely candidate to win the starting job at quarterback for the Wolverines. With the season opener coming up next week, head coach Jim Harbaugh has made that official. Patterson is Michigan’s starting quarterback.
Speaking to a group of Michigan supporters at a luncheon on Monday, Harbaugh provided the confirmation about his quarterback decision. Media members following the Michigan program followed up to confirm that decision was final. Harbaugh reportedly informed the team of the decision earlier in the day.
Patterson is expected to be a solid upgrade that could improve the entire offense as a whole. Last season at Ole Miss, Patterson played in seven games and passed for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Michigan’s three quarterbacks last season (John O’Korn, Brandon Peters, Wilton Speight) combined for 2,226 yards and nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
Improving the Michigan offense will be essential if Michigan is going to make a run in the Big Ten this season. The defense is expected to be among the best in the Big Ten, and arguably the nation, so if the offense can get just a small bit of improvement across the field, Michigan could be a team to keep an eye on if all goes according to plan for Harbaugh and the Wolverines.
Patterson will make his Michigan debut on the road in South Bend against No. 12 Notre Dame on September 1.