Based on what I read at gatorsports.com this morning, Patchan has added a jolt to our defensive line and some much-needed aggressiveness that was missing last season. According to what Robbie Andreu said in his blog, Patchan did play on the defensive side of the ball in high school so it's not a new skill he's being asked to learn in college.
Meyer's moving Michael Pouncey to defense last year was a necessity as we were decimated by injuries on the D-line; his moving Patchan over there was a strategic move to add some power and reaction time to the defensive end position. Chances are we'll see him in the D-line rotation on Saturday and likely during the regular season as well.