Long: Mallett Waiver Filed, But No Timetable

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said Monday that there is no timetable for when the school expects to hear from the NCAA regarding a waiver filed on quarterback Ryan Mallett’s behalf.

Long said in a Feb. 5 press release that Arkansas intended to file a waiver with the NCAA in the hopes that Mallett will be cleared to play immediately instead of having to sit out a year because he transferred from Michigan.

Long said Monday that the waiver has been filed, but he wasn’t sure when the NCAA could make a ruling on Mallett’s eligibility.

Mallett, a former five-star recruit from Texarkana, Texas, transferred to Arkansas in mid-January after spending last season as a freshman at Michigan.

He played in 11 games with the Wolverines, and he took over as the starter when Chad Henne suffered a leg injury. Mallett passed for 892 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions, but he asked for a release from his scholarship after Rich Rodriguez was hired as Michigan’s new coach.

Players typically must sit out a year if they transfer from one Football Championship Series school to another.

But Arkansas is arguing that “extenuating circumstances” led to Mallett’s transfer, so he shouldn’t have to sit out a year. Mallett didn’t feel he fit into Rodriguez’s offensive system.