The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 47 COMMITMENT PROFILE S an Antonio Christian three-star tight end Nick Patterson picked up his Michigan offer on the first day of July and immediately became a very real option for the Wolverines. The 6-3, 215-pounder grew up a Michigan fan and even gets to watch his older brother Shea quarterback this year 's team. Once he took in U-M's opener against Notre Dame in South Bend and then watched the Maize and Blue blow out Western Michigan in the home opener, he knew he wanted to be a part of the U-M football family. "The first game at Notre Dame got to me, and I thought Shea played pretty good," he explained. "At that second game, The Big House kind of creeps up on you. You don't re- ally realize how big The Big House is. You see that crowd and feel the environment. "We've been Michigan fans for a long time, and it was so surreal. The fans were all really cool, and the en- vironment was great. Seeing Coach [Jim] Harbaugh after the game and hanging out with my recruiter, Matt Dudek — it was just fun and a great opportunity for me." Patterson took about a day to let it all sink in, but knew before head- ing home that he wanted to pull the trigger and commit to Harbaugh and U-M. It was a moment he shared with his family and knows it's some- thing he'll never forget. "I actually committed on Sunday at about noon," Patterson said. "It was after a meeting. Coach Harbaugh said that they'd love to have me, and I shook his hand and said, 'I want to start this journey with Michigan.' "I was in there with Coach Har- baugh and Coach Dudek, and we talked for about 45 minutes. My dad was in there, and we got to meet the tight ends coach. It was just a great moment. It was awesome." Even though Patterson now re- sides in Texas, he got his prep career started in Louisiana, giving Rivals.com southeast analyst Woody Wommack a chance to watch the tight end in his formative years. Wommack sees Pat- terson as a versatile player for Michi- gan and understands the choice since Harbaugh does a lot with his tight ends. "We had a chance to see Patter- son at the 2017 New Orleans stop of the Rivals 3-Stripe Camp Series and despite being just a freshman, he impressed, especially when lined up against linebackers in space," Wommack explained. "He's a good route runner and has very consis- tent hands, probably from spending plenty of time with his older brother playing catch in the backyard. "Since that event, Patterson has continued to grow into a more tra- ditional tight end and now has more ideal size to play at the next level. It's no surprise that given the chance he would want to follow in his brother's footsteps to Michigan, even if they won't ever play together at the col- lege level." Patterson admitted that Michigan's use of the tight end played a big fac- tor in his commitment but so did ad- vice from Shea. "How they'll use me was a huge part of it, but it's not really just tight end at Michigan," he said. "They like that I can put my hand in the dirt, line up in the backfield and in the slot. They like my versatility. "Shea's input on how much of a family it all is was huge, too. He talks about the coach's relationships with the players and recruits. He said he loves it up there, and that's a big deal for me. "I take my brother's word on a lot of things, and then I got to see it for myself when I visited with Coach Harbaugh and Coach Dudek. It's a very tight-knit bond, and that was a big factor for me." Patterson is commit No. 4 for the Wolverines in the 2020 class and is glad to get his recruitment over. Bigger programs are likely going to come knocking as he continues to succeed as a junior and into his senior season, but he's all set as a Wolverine. — Brandon Brown Brotherly Advice And Lifelong Fandom Led Nick Patterson To U-M Rivals.com ranks Patterson — a 6-3, 215-pound tight end and the younger brother of Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson — as the No. 74 junior in Texas. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Nick Patterson's versatility makes him a special talent at tight end. He's a bit of a "tweener" in terms of his size at 6-3 and 215 pounds, but that allows to him to line up as a traditional tight end, out wide as a jumbo wide receiver and even in the backfield as an H-back. He also has the toughness and football IQ to even get a look on defense. Areas Of Improvement: With Patterson, it's about consistency and getting bigger and stronger. He's obviously not a small kid, but 6-3, 215 pounds is two to three inches shorter and as much as 40 pounds lighter than some tight ends coming out of high school. He'll have to continue to bulk up and get stronger in order to contribute at a place like Michigan. Michigan Player Comparison: Because of his versatility and ability to play tight end and H-back perhaps equally, Patterson looks a lot like former fullback/ tight end Aaron Shea. Patterson is a bit smaller as a junior, but could easily get up into the 235- to 250-pound range once in Ann Arbor, which is the weight Shea played at during his Michigan career. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com