The state of Arkansas has seen an instant lowering in their blood pressure, as the nation's #1 rated high school quarterback, Sprindale, Arkansas' Mitch Mustain, has finally stopped waffling and has recommitted to play college football at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville yesterday.

For those of you who aren't a resident of the Razorback State, this might be a slight blip on your radar, and only if you really care about college football recruiting. The backstory is simple: last year Mustain and the Springdale High School football team were tops in the state. In August, Mustain gave his verbal commitment to the U of A. This may or may not have paved the way for his coach, the young football genius Gus Malzahn, to get his first college coaching job at Arkansas, and have that job be offensive coordinator, which takes away the play calling duties from head coach and constant target Houston Nutt.

A few months into the college football season, it became apparent that the quarterback situation this year was going to be a problem, due to the Jacksonville Jaguars drafting Hogs QB Matt Jones and then making him a wide receiver. Jones' athleticism was able to overcome his QB shortcomings, and Nutt never took the time to develop a true replacement. Various other elements of the team were proving to not be working either, and Mustain, on the way to a undefeated season in high school football and being sold as the savior of the college program, decided maybe he needed to take a second look at Notre Dame. And possibly Alabama. Or maybe even Tennessee . . .

As you could have guessed, the fans went nuts. Especially when other Southeastern Conference options Alabama and Tennessee were mentioned. Days after Springdale High School wins the Arkansas state football championship, coach Gus Malzahn leaves the high school and gets the Arkansas offensive coordinator job, meaning the old high school coach no longer has a free ear to his star quarterback, even if the star quarterback is over the house all the time because he is dating old coaches' daughter.

Yes, it got very confusing very quickly.

But all is right with the world, now. Malzahn had his first in-house recruiting trip to Mustain's house two days ago, and yesterday morning Malzahn delivered the young prospect back into the firm clutches of Houston Nutt.

There is no soap opera that can ever be conceived that would outdo college football in the south.

Posted by J. Cleveland Payne @ 7:59 AM   0 comments ---------------------------------------