Michigan coach talks about what the approach for Patterson, Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey should be heading into next season. Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News
Ann Arbor — Michigan starting quarterback Brandon Peters said he was unconscious for nearly 40 seconds during the Wisconsin game and struggled with headaches the next week before he was held out of the regular-season finale against Ohio State.
Peters, who has been cleared and has been practicing as the Wolverines prepare to face South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, discussed the injury on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show Wednesday night, as well as the upcoming competition with Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson and redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey.
“I couldn’t really tell how hard my head hit the ground,” Peters said on the show. “I was unconscious for about 30, 40 seconds. I remember everything leading up to when I came back to consciousness.
“It was pretty scary, but I knew I was going to be all right. Nothing too serious. I was just worried about letting my team down. I wanted to get back out there, but obviously that wasn’t going to happen."
Peters said he had a concussion in high school “that was minor.”
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While Peters is the No. 1 quarterback heading into the bowl game, the dynamic will change during winter conditioning and spring practice with the addition of Patterson. Patterson does not yet know if the NCAA will waive the transfer rule and make him immediately eligible.
Show host Brad Galli asked Peters his reaction when he found out Patterson would be joining the team.
“I don’t really care,” Peters said. “It’s going to happen at the NFL level, the college level, you’re going to bring guys in. That’s just how things happen. You can’t really get into your emotions so much. You have to worry about what you can do and stay in the position you want to be in. So you just gotta work and can’t let anything affect you.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, speaking to reporters Wednesday night, described what he thinks the approach should be for all three quarterbacks, including McCaffrey.
“Like anybody in the program, he has the license and the ability to be a starter,” Harbaugh said of Patterson. “As I told all three of the quarterbacks at the same time, the only thing that’s guaranteed here is an opportunity.
“If I was the mindset of Brandon Peters, I’d say, ‘Brandon, this is how you should think.’ He’s the starting quarterback. He should take this job and run with it and nobody is going to take that away from him. If I was Dylan McCaffrey, I would have the mindset of, been on the scout team, been the scout team player of the year but now he’s gonna get stronger. Doesn’t matter how many quarterbacks are on the roster. Nobody’s going to beat him out. If I was Shea Patterson, I would have the mindset of, ‘Wait till they get a load of me.’ All three have the license and the ability to be great.”
Peters said practices have been productive and said the younger players have had valuable reps.
“We’ve got a lot of talent,” he said. “I think we have a really, really, really good chance to be a great team next year.”
A title contender, he was asked?
“For sure,” Peters said.
And Peters added he expects to be the one leading the team.
“I would love to be the guy,” he said. “I really think I can lead this team, help them win games in the future and ultimately win a Big Ten title.”
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