It hasn’t taken long for Michigan DC Don Brown to realize new Wolverines QB Shea Patterson will be a challenge for Big Ten defenses this fall.

At Ole Miss, Patterson’s freshman season consisted of only three games stepping in for the injured starting quarterback. His sophomore season was cut short due to his own injury. Patterson has only played in 10 games during his a college career, but has already thrown for 3,139 yards and 23 touchdowns. Brown says it shows that Patterson has made big plays against Power 5 defenses.

“He’s a veteran guy. He’s a confident guy,” Brown told reporters at a recent media availability. “He has the ability to do things with his legs. He’s got a quick release. I just like the guy. I just like him. He’s a good guy. He’s a confident guy as I said and a very good athlete. When you couple the ability to throw, the ability to maneuver and move around as an athlete and a guy that has experience, now — that’s piece gets overlooked, you know. ‘Oh, this guy is a good player. Let him player. Why isn’t he playing good?’ Why don’t you give him a chance to breathe and let him play good? How about that? Sometimes I think we forget about that.

“But this guy has played. He’s played a lot. He’s been in the soup at high levels, and I think that gives him general respect. But the way he goes about doing it, he’s certainly earned my respect. He came in and talked coverage today with the boss. He’s just a great kid. I’m excited to see him play against other people.”