NCAA rules Michigan QB Shea Patterson immediately eligible

It's official: Michigan fans can expect to see Shea Patterson on the field for the 2018 season.

The NCAA, in conjunction with Michigan and Ole Miss, approved a waiver to grant the former Rebels quarterback immediate eligibility for the 2018 season.

"I want to thank Coach (Jim) Harbaugh, the University of Michigan, and the NCAA for allowing me to continue my education and football career at one of the best universities in the country," Patterson said in a statement obtained by Nick Baumgardner of the Detroit Free Press. "With this decision behind us, my family and I are fully focused on the upcoming season."

Patterson transferred to Michigan following the 2017 season - a move that would usually require him to sit out for a year before becoming eligible.

The talented pivot petitioned the NCAA for immediate eligibility, claiming he was misled by Ole Miss coaches during his recruitment about the potential penalties facing the Rebels program for NCAA violations. Ole Miss self-imposed a bowl ban for the 2017 season, and was hit with an additional year of being banned from the postseason, among other penalties, by the NCAA.

With Patterson eligible, the Michigan quarterback battle should be one of the best in the country when fall camp opens, as the talented transfer will battle Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey for the starting job.