Shea Patterson granted permission to explore transfer

Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson has been granted permission to talk with other programs about the possibility of transferring, according to a report by the Ole Miss Spirit’s David Johnson. The report states that Michigan would be the favorite to land him, should he decide to leave.

The stipulations of his release are that he cannot transfer to an SEC school or a team on Ole Miss’ schedule in the next two seasons, as reported by nola.com’s Jimmy Smith.

It is important to note that this does not necessarily mean he is leaving the program. Normally he would have to sit out a year after transferring, but due to the circumstances surrounding the program, Patterson can apply for a waiver to be eligible right away and the NCAA would be likely to approve it.

The move comes in the wake of Ole Miss’ NCAA penalties being announced on Friday, which included a postseason ban for the 2018 season as well as the self-imposed one for the 2017 season.

Patterson, who was the top-rated quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class, completed 166 of 260 passes for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games this season before he tore his PCL against LSU.

Backup Jordan Ta’amu, who has delightfully dubbed himself the “Throwin’ Samoan,” looked good while filling in for Patterson this season, throwing for 1,682 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushing for another four.

If Patterson stays in Oxford, he may be facing a competition with Ta’amu for the starting job, but if he leaves for Michigan, he would likely be able to start immediately, as the Wolverines’ quarterback play has been pretty abysmal over the past few seasons.