Arkansas hits a home run hiring John L. Smith

We’re not even to May yet, but Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long gets the early vote for Administrator of the Year in college football.

Long did the right thing – even though it was the hard thing – when he fired super-successful coach Bobby Petrino. Long handled that difficult duty with enough fortitude and passion that it turned fan disappointment and anger into pride in the institution. Big-money donations immediately flowed in after Long deposed his duplicitous coach.

read more: sports.yahoo.com

“One GM said Mallett was the first quarterback ever to admit his drug usage to him in interviews, and his willingness to be honest about his past and acknowledge issues is viewed as a positive.

Concerns about his history of use could impact his draft position, though. Although Mallett did not produce an official positive test at Arkansas, he has been arrested for public intoxication and carries a reputation as a “big party guy,” per sources who have interviewed him.

How much teams believe he has matured will weigh into his draft status. “I would not take him at any point,” one executive not in need of a quarterback said. He still figures to be drafted in the second round.”

This new information could prove pretty damaging in the eyes of the public and could be costly for his draft prospects. Teams may shy away from a possible PR problem. But his candor and honesty could also be a plus.

Read more of “Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett Reportedly Admitted to Drug Use” on NationalFootballAuthority.com
4.19.11

The Dolphins have spent extra time with Cam Newton, Christian Ponder, Ricky Stanzi, Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick, but when all is said and done, they may spend more hours with Mallett than any other quarterback on their board.

There’s debate over Mallett’s overall value, however.  Some draft gurus project him as a second-round pick.  Others see him as a legitimate possibility for Miami at the #15 spot in the first round.

Tim Graham of ESPN.com said yesterday that Dolphin fans might be able to relate to the former Razorback:

Mallett enters the NFL with multiple question marks despite a rifle arm and prolific statistics in a pro-style offense.  Drug rumors have been persistent.  On the field, he’s considered sloth-like in his movements.  All the same was said about Dan Marino.

Read more of “Mallett to Miami? The ex-Hog QB says critics don’t know him” on MrSEC.com
4.14.11

“It went good. I thought I had a pretty good workout. It was good to get back and throw with some guys I haven’t throw with in a while, and they looked really good. They went out there and made me look good,” Mallett said. “My whole thing was just to continue to be consistent. I felt like I was consistent at the combine, I improved on some numbers, and that’s what I’ve worked on in the last week or two, and I’m pleased with my day.”

Mallett has been the target of harsh criticism from the media since January, and that escalated at the NFL Combine. Some have perpetuated rumors of substance abuse and then have ripped him apart for not answering their questions the way they wanted at the NFL Combine. One reported that he stormed off the podium during his interview(which is untrue).

Read more of “Pro Day: Mallett’s stock improving” on HawgSports.com
3.9.11

We were approached this week, by a source inside the Arkansas program who told us the he has personally witnessed Mallett use both marijuana, and cocaine.  This corroborates an account given to us a few months back, that we had been unable to substantiate.

Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, and NFL Draft Monsters has a policy of not compensating sources in any way for stories.

An email sent to the University of Arkansas requesting comment has not been returned at this time.

We will bring you more as this story develops.

UPDATE: Ryan Mallett has denied these allegations through a reporter in Northwest Arkansas.  We at NFL Draft Monsters are standing behind this report, however, and we will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Read more of “Character Concern: Ryan Mallett” on NFLDraftMonsters.com
2.22.11