Entering his fourth season, Jim Harbaugh has brought all kinds of national attention to the Michigan football program, but success in the terms of winning conference titles or even division championships has eluded UM the past three years. Could Harbaugh and the Wolverines finally have the missing piece to the puzzle in Ole Miss transfer QB Shea Patterson?

One anonymous rival coach seems to think so. Sports Illustrated recently asked college coaches to provide scouting reports on their most prominent opponents under the condition of anonymity. One coach particularly raved about Patterson.

“It’s kind of scary, really, that they have 6’2″ junior quarterback Shea Patterson,” the coach told SI. “They were already a great football team, and they’re going to be a lot better. I came to a staff that recruited [Patterson], and I know all about him. The bottom line is, he’s a special player, for sure, and he’ll make them a different football team.”

Entering his junior season, Patterson’s career has been defined by injury. He stepped in as a freshman to play the last three games of the season when Ole Miss starter Chad Kelly suffered a season-ending injury. The next year, it was Patterson’s season that would be cut short by injury. Patterson has played in 10 college games, already throwing for 3,139 yards and 23 touchdowns.

To see what anonymous coaches had to say about Michigan’s defense as well as other teams, the article is available here.