Colleges are beginning to welcome new freshmen to town along with incoming transfers. This season there are several players who will make an immediate impact on their new teams. Football University breaks down five transfers who will have an immediate impact in 2018.
Shea Patterson (Michigan)
Patterson is a no brainer to be on this list. Former All-American Bowl quarterback was granted immediate eligibility from the NCAA after leaving Ole Miss. Jim Harbaugh has yet to get over the hump of beating Ohio State and Patterson could be the missing piece to the puzzle. Expect for him to win the starting spot and electrify the Wolverine’s offense in 2018.
Joe Burrow (LSU)
After losing the quarterback competition in Columbus to Dwayne Haskins he decided it was time to leave. Burrow heads to Death Valley with two years of eligibility remaining and an opportunity to play right away. If he is able to get a grasp of the offense and beat out Myles Brennan for the job LSU could surprise some people.
Wilton Speight (UCLA)
Speight won quarterback battles in consecutive years before an injury ended his time in Ann Arbor. After the emergence of Brandon Peters and the arrival of Shea Patterson the writing was on the wall for him to find a new school. He has decided to head back to the West Coast and play for the Chip Kelly. Speight isn’t the ideal quarterback to run Kelly’s scheme but he does have on-field experience.
Calvin Anderson (Texas)
Anderson arrived in Austin after being a three-year starter at Rice. He should make life much easier and safer for quarterback Sam Ehlinger who battled injuries in 2017. If Anderson is able to dominate in the trenches like he did at Rice his name will be called early during the NFL Draft.
Blake Barnett (USF)
This is Barnett’s last chance to validate his five-star ranking out of high school. After stops at Alabama and Arizona State he heads to play for Charlie Strong and USF. He will have to come in and compete because he knows all too well that starting spots are earned on the field. Barnett has an opportunity to play and pick up right where Quinton Flowers left off.
