Derek Mason compares Shea Patterson to one of the NFL’s best young QBs

Derek Mason gave high praise to Ole Miss true freshman quarterback Shea Patterson leading up to Saturday’s matchup in Nashville.

The coach compared Patterson’s elusiveness to former Oregon and current Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, who Mason faced numerous times during his tenure as Stanford’s defensive coordinator.

Mason says Ole Is QB Shea Patterson reminds him a little of Marcus Mariota in his ability to be elusive on the run.

— Dave Foster (@DaveFoster17) November 15, 2016

That may raise some eyebrows given Patterson’s small sample size of work after just one career college game. Then again, he was the No. 1 overall pro-style quarterback and No. 4 overall prospect for the 2016 national recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

And he did display that potential in his first career appearance last weekend while leading Ole Miss to a 29-28 upset at Texas A&M. Patterson threw for 338 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 25 of 42 passing, while also rushing for 64 yards on 15 attempts.

But it’s a bit early to compare the true freshman to a former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall draft pick, even with his impressive debut. However, that could change with another solid performance in Saturday’s game, as well as a strong sophomore campaign in 2017.

But if the comparisons are true, it may not be the deciding factor for Ole Miss. For what it’s worth, Mason’s Stanford defenses held Mariota’s teams to more than half of their season scoring averages during his final two seasons as the Cardinal’s coordinator.

FWIW: Oregon averaged 45.5 points per game in 2013, Mason's Stanford D held them to 20. Oregon averaged 49.6 in 2012, held to 14 by Stanford https://t.co/LTzhnVVVjz

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 15, 2016

Jason Hall

Jason covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.