FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett announced Thursday he will declare as an underclassman for the NFL Draft.
Mallett’s decision came two days after the Razorbacks completed their 10-3 season with a 31-26 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, and within hours of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck’s announcement he was returning to school next season.
Luck had been projected as the No. 1 pick in April’s draft.
Mallett had been expected to make the jump since announcing Jan. 8, 2010, that he would return for his junior season, one he vowed would put Arkansas back on the national scene.
He was right. The 6-6, 250-pounder from Texarkana threw a school-record 32 touchdown passes and 3,869 yards this season, and helped Arkansas to a No. 8 ranking and its first Bowl Championship Series berth.
Mallett, who projects as one of the strongest-armed NFL rookies in recent years, announced his intention to declare for the draft through a University of Arkansas news release.
“Ever since I was a kid, my dream has always been to play for the Razorbacks, and I am thankful I had the opportunity to do so,” Mallett said in the release. “A year ago, when I returned to school, I said I wanted to help lead this team to a place among the nation’s elite and for the Razorback community to have a mind-set to expect greatness. There is no doubt we got there together, and this program will continue to play games on the biggest stages, and when it does, we’ll come out swinging.”
Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino and offensive coordinator Garrick McGee indicated at points during the season they expected it to be Mallett’s final year with the Razorbacks.
Petrino, asked about Mallett’s career at Arkansas following the Sugar Bowl, spoke in glowing terms about his two-year quarterback as if he already understood it was Mallett’s swan song.
“Ryan’s done an unbelievable job with his leadership, his competitive spirit,” Petrino said Tuesday. “He lifts everybody around him to compete and play better.”
Petrino reiterated those remarks in Thursday’s release and added: “One of the greatest parts about coaching is watching individuals become adults while they are in college, and Ryan has certainly developed not just as a player, but as a person. I know Ryan will be successful in life, and I wish him the best in the NFL.”
Debbie Mallett said her son had an “awesome” season against better competition this year.
“I think he’s grown and matured this year,” she said, adding that she and her husband, Jim, were much more excited about their son’s decision to turn pro this year.
“Last year we weren’t for it at all,” Debbie Mallett said.
Mallett projects as an early-round pick in the draft, probably the first round, in a quarterback group that includes Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, Washington’s Jake Locker and likely Auburn’s Cam Newton.
Mallett, who is less than 12 hours away from obtaining a sociology degree, hasnot yet retained an agent.
Mallett completed 24 of 47 passes for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns under heavy duress against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, and his final pass was intercepted by defensive end Solomon Thomas inside the Buckeyes’ 20-yard line with 58 seconds left in the game.
“You know, it was a tough play,” Mallett said that night. “It’s not the way you want to end the year, obviously.”
Mallett finished his career with at least 40 school records, including his 7,493 passing yards, 62 touchdowns and 409 yards passing in a game. He came up short in his attempt to break Kevin Scanlan’s single-season record for completion percentage (.662 in 1979) by completing 64.7 percent of his passes this season.
Mallett’s progression has been evident since his redshirt year at Arkansas in 2008 after he transferred from Michigan, where he played his freshman season.
“Playing in the NFL is a goal of mine, and I am grateful to the people that have prepared me to take the next step,” Mallett said in the release.
“Coach [Bobby] Petrino is a winner, a man of character and the hardest worker I have ever seen. I’d also like to thank Coach McGee for everything he has done for me and in particular helping develop my mental approach to the game.”
Mallett also thanked Arkansas Chancellor David Gearhart and Athletic Director Jeff Long for their leadership and Arkansas fans fortheir passion.
“The Razorback fans are the greatest in the country, and their support for me and the team throughout my career has been humbling,” he said. “Arkansas is where my heart is, and I’m proud to say that I will always be a Razorback.”Mallett’s marks
Some of the Arkansas records held by quarterback Ryan Mallett: CAREER PASSING YARDS 7,493 (2009-2010) TD PASSES 62 300-YARD PASSING GAMES 14 400-YARD PASSING GAMES 4 PASSES WITHOUT INTERCEPTION 141 (2009) SEASON PASSING YARDS 3,869 (2010) TD PASSES 32 (2010) COMPLETIONS 266 (2010) ATTEMPTS 411 (2010) YARDS TOTAL OFFENSE 3,794 (2010) TD RESPONSIBILITY 36 (32 passing, 4 rushing in 2010) GAME PASSING YARDS 409 (vs. Vanderbilt 2010) TD PASSES 5 (vs. Georgia, Troy and Mississippi State in 2009 and vs.
Texas-El Paso in 2010) COMPLETION PERCENTAGE (MINIMUM 20 ATTEMPTS) 87.5 (21 of 24 vs.
Tennessee Tech in 2010) COMPLETION PERCENTAGE (13-19 ATTEMPTS) 87.5 (14 of 16 vs. Eastern Michigan in 2009)
Sports, Pages 19 on 01/07/2011