The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

It’s hard not to have people ask you about taking your game to the next level when you’re a 6-7 quarterback with a rifle arm and sound decision-making skills to match, but Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett is hearing none of it.

Despite constantly being peppered with questions about possibly being a first-round pick in next year’s draft, the junior signal caller remains steadfast in his commitment to the Razorbacks and turning them into an SEC powerhouse.

“I’m the quarterback for the Hogs---that’s what’s on my mind. Right now, the whole summer, I’ve been in the film room, in the weight room just trying to prepare myself and prepare my team,” maintained “Big Tex.”

“For the upcoming season, we look to be very successful and that’s our goal…that’s what we’re striving for. But we’ve got to go out and play. [We] got to go out on the field and execute on every down, every quarter.”

With talented pass catchers Greg Childs, Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and D.J. Williams on his side, Mallett is confident that his squad can deliver an SEC Championship to his fans.

In fact, the towering 22-year-old told College Football Insiders that he’s determined to wipe out his team’s underdog attitude that has lingered in Fayettville since 1964---the year the Hogs won their first and only National Championship.

The first team All-College Football Insiders preseason selection noted how the offense has to do a much better job of converting third downs, he went back to gushing about his plethora of weapons.

“When you see Greg [Childs] without pads on, you can just tell he’s a freak of nature. He’s big and he can cut. When you’ve got a guy who can go get the ball wherever it’s at, it really helps you,” he said.

“It makes you feel more comfortable as a quarterback, where you feel you don’t have to put it exactly where it needs to be because you know he’s going to make a play. I mean, Jarius [Wright], Joe [Adams] are the same way…they’re great players, not just average. They make a lot of plays a lot of people shouldn’t.”

Perhaps the biggest question about the future NFL pro heading into the upcoming college season is his recovery from a broken foot he suffered in mid-February.

Mallett conceded that he isn’t running with the rest of his teammates yet, but he has been throwing and lifting weights. A big key to his successful rehabilitation so far has been the enormous amount of swimming he’s done in the offseason.

The promising triggerman even joked that he’s spent so much time in the pool that he now feels ready to compete for the Olympics.

When reflecting on his recent progress as a field general, Mallett couldn’t help but mention coach Bobby Petrino’s influence.

“You know, coach Petrino is a technician even when he’s breaking down film, he’s got his way of doing it. He really cleaned up my technique and, obviously, I lost some weight…that’s really helped me,” he added. “The main thing [is] he cleaned up my footwork. I have a great grasp of the game and he understands that.”

The mental part of the game is one area that the big flamethrower believes is overlooked when people evaluate his skill set.

Said Mallett: “I guess a lot of people still really don’t understand that I have a great grasp of the game of football. I understand what’s going on. I can learn on the run during the game and see what the other team is doing and adapt to what they’re doing to make the offense go.”

In addition, the Batesville, Arkansas native recognized how his experience as a Michigan Wolverine helped mold him not only as an athlete, but as a leader of men.

He credited his former coach Lloyd Carr and ex-teammate Chad Henne, in particular, for helping him grow into the player he is today.

While Mallett doesn’t look up the Dolphins quarterback for advice, he acknowledged how Henne’s “intelligence” rubbed off on him just by watching him practice.

From a physical standpoint, the classic dropback passer sees his tremendous height as an advantage in terms of being able to look over his linemen, but he also admitted that his great length tends to leave him exposed to big hits.

Listening to him talk, one can immediately pick up on Mallett’s self assuredness, but that doesn’t mean that he’s oblivious to the areas of his game that he needs to refine.

The gifted passer was well aware of the fact that his accuracy has to improve especially on shorter throws that sometimes get away from him.

But Mallet’s studious habits as a film room junkie and his competitive spirit are just a couple of the ingredients that should pave the way for a very successful pro career down the road.

But the big guy has no time for that now…he’s too busy trying to win a SEC Championship.

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Hubbard