Report: Michigan Transfer QB Shea Patterson to Be Granted Immediate Eligibility

The NCAA is reportedly expected to declare quarterback Shea Patterson eligible to play for the Michigan Wolverines during the 2018 season. 

Josh Henschke of 247Sports reported the news, noting Michigan was approximately 90 percent sure the Ole Miss transfer would be eligible a week ago and is even more confident as of Thursday.

According to Henschke, Patterson will battle redshirt sophomore Brandon Peters, redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey and true freshman Joe Milton for the starting job as the Wolverines look to improve on last year's fourth-place finish in the Big Ten East.

Michigan did not offer official confirmation, though, as Nick Baumgardner of the Detroit Free Press shared:

Patterson is waiting on official word on the waiver that would cancel the need to sit out a year, which is typically required when a football player transfers between schools.

As part of his efforts, the signal-caller said in a nine-page letter to the NCAA that Ole Miss and head coach Hugh Freeze lied to him and misled him regarding the nature of the NCAA sanctions the program was facing, per Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.

"In the filing, Patterson states Ole Miss officials 'plotted' to keep him and other Rebels recruits in 2016 from finding out about the true scope of the NCAA charges," Dodd wrote.

Dodd was also the one who reported Ole Miss formally objected Patterson's claims to the NCAA.

His eligibility would be critical for a Wolverines team that struggled at the quarterback position in 2017. Peters suffered an injury but had just four touchdown passes prior to the setback, Wilton Speight transferred and John O'Korn threw two touchdowns to just six interceptions.

Michigan's defense was talented enough to compete on the national stage, but the poor performances from the quarterback left it looking up at Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State within its own division.

Patterson will look to change that in 2018.