Next No. 1? Try Texas High QB

Ryan Mallett, the next big thing among Texas high school quarterbacks, might be the most self-effacing person in Texarkana.

Seriously.

Take his assessment when asked to compare himself and Highland Park's Matthew Stafford, this year's top-ranked quarterback in Texas and the nation. Stafford and Highland Park beat Ryan Mallett and his Texas High team in the first round of the Class 4A Division I playoffs last fall.

"He can run a little bit," Ryan Mallett said. "I can't run at all."

Ryan Mallett, a 6-6 ½, 235-pound junior, plays basketball and football. Does he picture himself as a two-sport athlete?

"Just football," he said. "I don't think I could play basketball in college."

He was 6-3 in the eighth grade. Was he coordinated?

"Probably not," Ryan Mallett said. "I used to be clumsy."

Now for the honest truth: Ryan Mallett is one of the top juniors in the country. He is one of the top two quarterbacks in the class of 2007, according to Rivals.com.

"He's probably got the strongest arm in the history of Texas high school football," said Bobby Burton, Rivals.com recruiting expert.

Texas High coach Barry Norton said, "His size and his arm strength stand out. He has a cannon for an arm. The deeper people dig, they realize he is a student of the game."

Ryan Mallett said he already has received between eight to 10 scholarship offers, including ones from Texas, Baylor, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. He has taken visits to Texas, Arkansas, Nebraska and Michigan. He says he doesn't have any favorites at this point. He'd like to make a decision before the 2006 season.

"It would be better to get it done so I can play my senior season with it behind me," Ryan Mallett said.

Ryan Mallett calls himself a country city slicker who grew up near Fayetteville, Ark. And yes, he was a Razorbacks fan. But he said that Arkansas is not his favorite team now. In fact, he doesn't know who it is.

He moved to Hooks, Texas – the hometown of Billy Sims – in the seventh grade. His family moved to Texarkana in the eighth grade. His father, Jim, is a middle school coach in Texarkana.

Ryan Mallett started for Texas High as a sophomore, guiding his team to the state quarterfinals. He was even better as a junior, throwing for 2,219 yards and 21 touchdowns. He said his improvement was noticeable running Texas High's pro-style offense.

"Just my knowledge of the offense," Ryan Mallett said. "Knowing where people are going to be, I can help them out. And my reads have gotten a lot better since sophomore year."

Ryan Mallett is considered a gunslinger. He likes to emulate Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre because, he said, "he's a competitor and never lets anyone intimidate him."

When asked how far he can throw a football, Ryan Mallett said only, "a long way."

In Ryan Mallett's honest opinion, there is more to him than that.

"It's probably what people see first," Ryan Mallett said. "But if they run the tape back two or three times, they'll see that I'm doing everything else right."

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