Mitch Mustain Leaving Arkansas
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| Wednesday, January 17, 2007 |
Mitch Mustain, last year’s freshman sensation quarterback, has been granted his release from the Arkansas Razorbacks after some strange twists and turns.
Mustain has received permission to transfer, coach Houston Nutt said Tuesday. The announcement came a year to the day after Mustain made public his final decision to sign with the Razorbacks.
Nutt said Tuesday that Mustain had asked for and been granted his release. Nutt appeared to be holding out hope that the freshman would decide to stay at Arkansas. “I don’t know for sure where we are right now,” Nutt told reporters at a news conference in Fayetteville. “Naturally, I don’t want him to go. I want him to stay here.” But Nutt acknowledged he doesn’t remember many instances of players changing their minds after being released.
Gus Malzahn, who coached Mustain at Springdale High School in Arkansas, was the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator this season. But Malzahn left Arkansas this week to become assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa.
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Mustain went 8-0 as a starter in 2006, helping Arkansas to a 10-4 season and a No. 15 national ranking. But Mustain was benched in a November win over South Carolina, and he hardly played again until splitting time with starter Casey Dick in Arkansas’ Capital One Bowl loss to Wisconsin.
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Mustain was the Parade magazine prep player of the year in 2005. He said in August of that year he would attend Arkansas, but he opened his recruitment again after his high school season ended. On Jan. 16, 2006, Mustain told a newspaper he would play for the Razorbacks.
A recent book about Springdale’s 2005 season shed more light on Mustain’s recruitment. According to the book, while he was considering which school to go to, Mustain questioned the sophistication of Arkansas’ offense. He also made an off-the-cuff comment after Nutt took credit for a play call following an Arkansas win. The quarterback said Arkansas “would have a better chance of getting me” if Nutt were fired.
Arkansas hired Malzahn after the 2005 season, and Mustain eventually signed with the Razorbacks. Williams and Cleveland also signed after they appeared headed elsewhere.
All three played as freshmen, but Arkansas relied on its running game — tailback Darren McFadden was the Heisman Trophy runner-up. The spread, no-huddle offense Malzahn used at Springdale was never a factor.
The Razorbacks won 10 straight games at one point — but the warm feelings from that stretch have been overshadowed lately. Arkansas lost three straight to end the season, and as the Razorbacks prepared for their bowl, Nutt was still being asked about the controversy surrounding his team.
Quite bizarre, frankly.
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