Shea Patterson Visiting USC: How Would 5-Star 2016 QB Fit in Trojans' Offense?

USC has been a haven for top-flight quarterbacks in recent history, and Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian is hoping that trend continues in his quest to land 2016 5-star quarterback Shea Patterson.

As Scott Shrader of FightOn247 reports, the Shreveport, Louisiana, native is scheduled to visit USC this weekend for its game against Oregon State.

The visit out west follows trips to Notre Dame on Sept. 6 and Oklahoma last weekend. The Irish and home-standing LSU are a couple of the other primary suitors for the former Arizona commit. 

With the Trojans fighting to get in the mix, how would he fit in Sarkisian’s offense?

Judging by Sarkisian’s recent history with the quarterbacks he’s coached, the 6’2”, 195-pound Patterson has the skill set to effectively run his offense.

Dating back to his days as an assistant at USC and his previous stint as Washington’s head coach, the last five quarterbacks Sarkisian has coached had an average size of 6’3”, 219 pounds. With Patterson having at least 15 months before he enrolls in college, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he can gain a few more pounds of muscle.

On the field, Patterson—who passed for 2,655 yards with 34 touchdowns and four interceptions as a sophomore last season—isn’t a dual-threat passer. However, he is an efficient passer who has enough mobility to make plays happen when things break down in the pocket.

Those traits are similar to the tools possessed by Jake Locker and Keith Price, whom Sarkisian tutored when he was at Washington from 2009-13. 

This weekend will mark Patterson's second trip to USC’s campus this year, as he made an impromptu stop in the spring after visiting California for a training session with quarterback coach Steve Clarkson. 

"I hadn't hardly even been in contact with USC, but he thought it would be a good idea to take a visit,” Patterson told Schrader (subscription required) last month. “I met Coach Sark, met with Coach (Clay) Helton, and I really thought they were cool. Then I toured the campus with Coach Sark and Coach Helton, loved it and I just love the West Coast. I actually think I'm a West Coast guy. So, yeah, I can definitely see myself playing at USC."

While it will be tough to pull Patterson out of the Pelican State, Sarkisian has helped the Trojans land a highly touted passer out of Louisiana before. In 2003, serving as USC's quarterback coach, he was part of Pete Carroll’s staff that plucked former mega-recruit John David Booty out of Shreveport.

Another plus for USC’s shot at landing the nation’s No. 26 overall prospect in the 2016 class is Sarkisian’s history with grooming quarterbacks and the fact that he played the position in college. Patterson mentioned to Schrader that one of his chief requirements when looking for a school is to be close to his position coach.

"I want to have a great relationship with my quarterback coach, I want to feel comfortable at the school and being far from home is not an issue, and I want to have a shot at the starting job at some point," Patterson said.

Considering that this trip is an unofficial visit—meaning that he’s traveling to Los Angeles on his own dime—Patterson’s interest level in USC seems to be high.

Judging by his requirements in looking for a home on the next level and Sarkisian’s background in mentoring and developing talented quarterbacks, USC appears to be a great fit for one of the nation’s elite junior passers.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.