FanHouse RyanMallett

ARLINGTON, Texas -- It didn't seem to make sense for Texas A&M to have starting quarterback Jerrod Johnson still in the game late in fourth quarter with Arkansas well on the way to a 47-17 win Saturday night the Cowboys Stadium.

So imagine the concerned looks on the Aggies sideline when Johnson took a hard blindsided hit from Tenarius Wright that caused a fumble to pop out in Arkansas territory on the final real play of the game. Johnson stayed on the ground for a moment before popping back up.

Afterward, A&M coach Mike Sherman even questioned himself for leaving Johnson in so long.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- After a bumpy start to the Mike Sherman era at Texas A&M last season, the Aggies are off to a surprising 3-0 start to begin the season.

But after running through lightweights New Mexico, Utah State and Alabama-Birmingham, we will find just how real the Aggies are tonight when they face their first real test against Arkansas in a battle of old Southwest Conference rivals at Jerry Jones' new Cowboys Stadium.

Favored to become the starting quarterback next year at Arkansas, Ryan Mallett has hit a bit of a snag thanks to a public intoxication arrest deep deep deep into the early morning Sunday. He was arrested on Dickson Street in Fayetteville and booked at 3:47 AM.

Mallett is sort of a big deal because he's six foot six and bulletproof or something like that. He was a highly coveted recruit out of Texas who signed with and played for Michigan as a true freshman before transferring when Rich Rodriguez brought the spread circus to town. Arkansas, and specifically Bobby Petrino's explosive dropback system is a much better fit for Mallett. That is, if he can get his act together.

It didn't take Ryan Mallett very long to find a new home after leaving Ann Arbor, and it's a home he nearly found himself in before choosing Michigan. Mallett grew up a fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks, attending football camps on the campus during his youth, and now he'll be playing quarterback there as well.

Former five-star quarterback Ryan Mallett has left Michigan and is taking classes at the University of Arkansas today making his transfer official, according to sources close to the situation.

Mallett will redshirt during the 2008 season and then have three years of eligibility remaining.

Obviously with Rich Rodriguez taking over for Lloyd Carr at Michigan, Mallett was the odd man out in the program as he's not the type of quarterback the team will need to run Rich Rodriguez's offense. Considering that there were rumors circulating on campus that Mallett was going to transfer to Arkansas before he ever even stepped foot in Ann Arbor, his decision to go there now is hardly a surprise.

Mallett had hoped to go to Arkansas after he graduated high school, but when the Razorbacks signed Mitch Mustain during his senior season, he turned his attention elsewhere and ended up at Michigan.

Other schools Mallett considered were UCLA, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.

Now that Rich Rodriguez is taking over in Ann Arbor, he's bringing with him a lot of his old coaches, and his offensive system. The changes have already taken their toll on MIchigan's offense, because aside from losing quarterback Chad Henne and running back Mike Hart to graduation, the school is also losing receivers Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham who have decided to leave for the NFL.

Then there's Henne's backup, freshman Ryan Mallett. Ryan can't leave for the NFL yet, so he's doing the next best thing, he's transferring. Though it's not because he has anything against Rich Rodriguez, he just knows that he's the exact opposite of what Rodriguez looks for in a quarterback.

"I felt like I was forced out because of the offense that's coming in," Mallett said by phone as he left Ann Arbor and the Michigan program Wednesday. He was on his way home to Arkansas.

"I was recruited to be a drop-back passer. I have nothing against Coach Rod, but the system is forcing me out."

As for where Mallett is going to end up, I don't know yet, but the frontrunners for his services are UCLA, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. Not coincidentally, those are also three schools that are looking at Mallett's old quarterbacks coach at Michigan, Scot Loeffler. I'd be willing to bet that wherever Loeffler lands, Ryan's soon to follow.

Once he does announce where he's going though, he's going to have to sit out a year before he can play again.

Should he have to, though?

Right: Adrian Arrington.

In comes Rich Rodriguez, and out go Chad Henne and Mike Hart. Change is a-comin' for Michigan's offense, right? Well, that isn't the half of it. The extraordinarily blunt and open Rodriguez -- at least compared to Lloyd Carr, who never saw a question he couldn't dodge -- made an appearance on Jim Rome yesterday. Therein he expressed his opinion that Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington, and Ryan Mallett would all ply their trade elsewhere next year, the former two in the NFL and the latter on someone's bench taking an enforced redshirt after transferring.

This was opinion, but when Rodriguez attended the Michigan-Indiana basketball game (Michigan won ten billion to zero*) he spoke to reporters at half time. This is as blunt as you can get about Mallett:

"He's not playing for Michigan," Rodriguez said . "I'm concerned with whose [sic] playing for Michigan. That's my concern."

Seeya. Also seeya: Adrian Arrington, who texted Rodriguez about his decision to leave today. Mario Manningham was absent during the team meeting, but his grandfather keeps saying he'll stick around... we'll see. He's probably gone, too.

Next year is shaping up as an ugly one in Ann Arbor.

*(not actually true.)