With all the turmoil surrounding the Ole Miss football program after Hugh Freeze’s resignation, what are the three best transfer options for Shea Patterson?
Sophomore Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson got thrown into the fire earlier than expected in 2016. Former head coach Hugh Freeze intended on redshirting Patterson while Chad Kelly led the Rebel offense for the entire season. Yet, Patterson ended up playing in three games, throwing for 880 yards and six touchdowns in those games.
According to Rivals, the USC Trojans are pursuing Patterson for transfer to replace current quarterback Sam Darnold after the 2017 campaign. Darnold is expected to leave school early and enter the 2018 NFL Draft as possibly the first overall pick. A former five-star recruit like Patterson would be the perfect replacement that head coach Clay Helton and the Trojans are looking for.
Source: #OleMiss QB Shea Patterson could transfer to #USC depending on NCAA sanctions. @ChrisPSwanson explains: https://t.co/CGW6gyo8Sc pic.twitter.com/scO3VtpIQ5
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 23, 2017
Since Patterson would have to take one year off after transferring to another program, he would not be able to play immediately. Teams with quarterback situations like USC would be ideal for a quarterback like Patterson looking to win a conference or national championship very soon.
Eventually, Patterson himself could be a No. 1 overall pick. He has the potential to become one of the top quarterbacks in college football. Moreover, the firing of Freeze at Ole Miss prompted all of these transfer rumors. Since Freeze was fired and Ole Miss was put under such an intense NCAA investigation, the program seems to be on a Baylor-type downfall.
Recovering from fall outs like this can cause a program to go into a decade long slump. Ole Miss plays in a division in the SEC that poses the toughest challenge in the country most years. Losing out on the recruiting trail and even losing their current talent is not something that Ole Miss can afford in the present times.
3
USC Trojans
Scouting Report
The USC Trojans offer the perfect fit for Patterson. He’s an extremely talented pro-style quarterback that would thrive in USC’s offensive system. Darnold possesses many of the same qualities as Patterson and that bodes well for him if he moves to USC.
More from Ole Miss Rebels
- Previewing ACC football’s biggest games in Week 3
- Ole Miss football: 3 takeaways from huge road win over Tulane
- Ole Miss football: 3 reasons the Rebels will beat No. 24 Tulane
- Ole Miss football: 3 bold predictions for 2023 season
- Ole Miss football: 3 newcomers who’ll have the biggest impacts in 2023
Unlike Ole Miss, USC is ready to contend nationally for the foreseeable future. They’re even in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2017. Since Darnold took over for Max Browne at the beginning of the 2016 season, the Trojans have bee n on a hot streak better than almost any other program in the country.
USC is really the only program that has been publicly known as heavily targeting Patterson since Freeze resigned at Ole Miss just a few days ago. They’re the obvious choice for the first spot on this list and also probably the most realistic.
The future for the Trojans is bright as well. They currently have the 13th ranked 2018 recruiting class and also signed one of the best prospects in the country in the 2019 class. If Patterson decides to pull the trigger and make the transfer to Los Angeles, he would have talented receivers like Michael Pittman Jr and Trevon Sidney to throw to in 2018.
2
Texas Longhorns
Scouting Report
Where the Texas Longhorns will be at one year from now is anyone’s best guess. First-year head coach Tom Herman looks to bring new life to the Texas football program after a five-year stretch of mediocre teams. The Charlie Strong experiment failed and the end of the Mack Brown era did not live up to what Texas fans expect out of their football program.
Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele has the talent necessary to succeed at Texas but he tailed off at the end of the 2016 season. If he can’t make things happen in 2017 then Herman might be looking for other answers long-term.
Adding a talent like Patterson would be something that Herman and the Horns could not pass up. Making the move to the Big 12 to a program the level of Texas would put Patterson in the national spotlight.
Whenever Texas gets back to prominence, the quarterback that takes them there will get praise like no other. And if Patterson reached his overall potential while also taking Texas back to the top of the college football world, Heisman, National Championship, and no. 1 overall draft pick accolades are all possible.
1
LSU Tigers
Scouting Report
Much like the situation at hand with the Texas Longhorns, the LSU Tigers need a quarterback that can lead them back to prominence to help out a new head coach headed in the right direction. Second-year LSU head coach Ed Orgeron is hoping that current quarterback Danny Etling is the answer he is looking for.
Etling played well last season but still came up short in games against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, and Florida Gators. LSU needs to win at least two of those games to meet expectations of a rabid Tiger fan base.
Improvement could come in the form of first-year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Moreover, Etling has wide receivers Drake Davis and D.J. Chark that would help any quarterback reach the next level.
Next: 10 best Ole Miss players during Hugh Freeze era
If Etling does not work out, then looking inside the SEC West to find an answer would be a very convenient option for Orgeron. Patterson might not want to transfer to a rival school of Ole Miss but there’s no denying the potential that lies with an LSU team that actually has a quarterback that can power an efficient offense.