Former Michigan QB Shea Patterson selected No. 1 overall in USFL Draft

The USFL is back with games kicking off in April. On Tuesday evening the USFL held their inaugural draft.

Head coach Jeff Fisher and the Michigan Panthers had the No. 1 overall selection and selected former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Shea Patterson.

Patterson played in Ann Arbor for two seasons after transferring from Ole Miss and accumulated 5,661 passing yards with Jim Harbaugh as his head coach. He had 45 touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his career, leading the Wolverines to a 19-7 record as the signal-caller.

The former five-star recruit was undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft but signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. His stint in the NFL was not long after being waived before the season in July. Then, he went to the Spring League and played for the Blues before the league went under. From there, he signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was released in September of 2021 without playing a game. A week later, he signed with the Montreal Alloutes where he would finish the season.

Now, he returns stateside and to the new developmental league in the USFL. The Michigan Panthers announced their new uniforms late last week reviving the franchise and colors from the same USFL that disbanded in 1985.

Surely part of a marketing ploy, the Panthers picked the former Wolverines’ quarterback to attempt to reign in some fans from the Michigan program to their in-state USFL counterpart:

The Panthers are one of eight teams in the new USFL and will play in the North Division with the New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers. Although they have the Michigan tag in their name, all games in the USFL this season will be played in Birmingham, Alabama.

The leagues’ first action is in April going through mid-June. A championship game will be played on Sunday, July 3 in Canton, Ohio at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.