IORTS
- michgandaily.com
6A - Thursday, February 15, 2007
Mallett adjusts to campus
By KEVIN WRIGHT
Daily Sports Editor
He's been here just more than a
month.
But it didn't take star recruit
Ryan Mal-
lett that
long to fig- EARLY
ure out the ENTRANCE
difference ...- ... -..
between A sneak peak
high school at the four
and college. early-enrollees
"(It'shard) for Michigan
just learn- PART 1 OF 4
ing how to
adjust to the
time," Mallett said. "At home, you
just sit around on the couch. When
you're at school, you have to study.
It's just an adjustment on how to
use your free time."
The five-star quarterbackrecruit
graduated a semester early from
Texarkana (Texas) High School
and enrolled in classes for the
winter semester. He joins fellow
early-enrollees Vince Helmuth,
Artis Chambers and junior college
transfer Austin Panter on campus
this winter.
The highly touted quarterback
hopes to use the extra semester
on campus not only to adjust to
the demands of the classroom,
but also to the rigors of Michigan
football.
So far, Mallett has been work-
ing out with strength and con-
ditioning coach Mike Gittleson.
Though he has participated in the
team's winter workouts, he hasn't
seen the practice field or the play-
book yet.
For the transplanted Texan,
one of the toughest aspects of
the move has been homesickness.
Rumors already started swirling
on the Internet that he was plan-
ning on transferringto Alabama or
Arkansas.
But Mallett has no plans to leave
the sub-zero Ann Arbor climate,
even though he did confess "it's a
little chilly" for him.
"Everybody gets homesick,"
Mallett said. "I heard a couple of
those (rumors), and I just kinda
laughed. I talk to some of my
friends like every night and my
parents."
Mallett has drawn a consider-
able amount of hype, especially
following his performance in the
Army All-American game. But
most of the talk of the Michigan
recruiting season has been the
loss of five-star cornerback Ron-
ald Johnson to Southern Cal and
four-star safety Jerimy Finch to
Florida.
Asked if he ever considered
pulling out of his commitment to
the Wolverines, Mallett's answer
was simple.
Since he committed to Michi-
gan early in the recruiting process,
Mallett said he never felt any pres-
sure from home to go anywhere
else.
He also added that once he com-
mitted to Michigan, other schools
stopped calling.
Despite battling a new environ-
ment and cold weather, Mallett
arrives on campus with a promis-
ing future.
With starting quarterback Chad
Henne entering his final season
as a Wolverine, Michigan coach
Lloyd Carr has made it clear that
Mallett won't redshirt this season.
And the freshman seems fine with
that.
"It wasn't my decision," Mallett
said. "If they need me to play, then
I'll play. If they want me to red-
shirt, then I'll redshirt."
Even with Henne entrenched
as the team's starter, Mallett has
already made a name for himself
with his arm strength.
Before he arrived on campus,
rumors floated aroundthatthe sec-
ond-rated quarterback in the 2007
class according to both Rivals.
com and Scout.com could heave
the ball 80 yards on the fly.
Asked how far he could
actually heave it, Mal-
lett hesitated before
answering modestly.
"I can throw it a
pretty good dis-
tance," Mallett
When prod-
ded a little fur-
ther, he finally
put a numeri-
cal value on his
arm.
"(I can throw
it) pretty far out
there, probably about 50
(yards)," Mallett said with a laugh.
"That's all I got."
6
ANGELA CESERE/Daily
With Chad Henne
leaving after one
more year in Ann
Arbor, newly arrived
freshman Ryan Mal-
lett hopes to be the
heir apparent to the
quarterback throne
for the Michigan
football team.
I
--m
h . ,, °.