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NCAA penalties could cost Ole Miss more than just bowl games and scholarships. They might cost the Rebels a quarterback, too. In the wake of the NCAA's announcement of penalties against the Ole Miss football program, quarterback Shea Patterson has been granted permission to explore a transfer.

Now, to be clear, there's a difference between exploring a transfer and actually transferring. This news doesn't mean Patterson is out the door, but he is considering all his options. He's free to contact programs, and other schools can now contact him.

Also, since Patterson is not a senior, he won't be able to transfer without sitting out a season. If he did leave Ole Miss for an FBS school, he'd sit out the 2018 season and have two years of eligibility remaining in 2019 and 2020.

There shouldn't be any shortage of interested suitors for Patterson. He's a former five-star recruit that was rated the No. 1 quarterback in the 2016 class in 247's composite rankings. Patterson took over the starting job late in the 2016 season and threw for 880 yards and six touchdowns in three games. He opened the 2017 season as the starter and threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns before missing the final five games of the year with a knee injury.