For anyone who doubts the interconnectedness of all things, I submit to you this news item: troubled ex-LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux (I think his first name is actually “Troubled Ex-LSU Quarterback”) is transferring to Jacksonville State, where he’ll be coached by none other than Mr. Jack Crowe.

With a talent like Perrilloux on the team, they definitely should be able to beat the Citadel…

There’s no more optimistic time for a football fan than the spring, when a few good scrimmages can raise expectations to the point where every halfway-decent player seems like the second coming of Peyton Manning or, well, Darren McFadden. So maybe I’m guilty of that right off the bat, but what if we’re really witnessing the emergence of a brand new Casey Dick?

Your friends here at Razorback Expats are certainly as guilty as anyone else of taking a few potshots at C. Dick over the years, but given Bobby Petrino’s well-earned reputation as a quarterback guru (and Houston Nutt’s reputation as the opposite) it certainly seems within the realm of possibility that Dick could have us all eating our words.

With Ryan Mallett’s long-shot bid to be eligible for the 2008 having been denied by the NCAA, Dick has a clear shot at retaining the starter’s job and should benefit from the coaching staff’s extra attention. Plus, when we last saw Casey on the field he was blowing up would-be tacklers and hitting clutch passes in OT against LSU, so that’s something to build on (editor’s note: the Cotton Bowl has officially been purged from our memories).

At any rate, there’s definitely a buzz building around Casey…here’s a quick look at what some people who know more than we do about these things are saying:

* Sports Illustrated’s Cory McCartney kindly notes that Casey “has been called the worst quarterback in college football”, but also notes that this perception could change quickly and has him listed as one of his “Spring Winners” in a recent column.

* In spring football roundup, USA Today says: “In his first spring under new coach Bobby Petrino, Dick didn’t look anything like the quarterback who struggled with consistency and confidence throughout the 2007 season. He benefited significantly from a new offensive approach and new quarterback drills.”

* What does Bobby Petrino think? First of all, he’s probably happy that Dick isn’t masterminding a dogfighting ring in his spare time. But besides that, he says “He grew tremendously in the spring. He had a good understanding of what we’re doing offensively, he has a lot better understanding of what defenses are doing, in coverages and blitzes. I thought he made great strides in the last scrimmage before the spring game. He needs to be disciplined with his footwork and his technique. When he does that, he can be an accurate passer. He can get the ball out on time.”

* Lastly, the best breakdown might be this Rivals.com article, which gives an excellent overview of the current situation and includes quotes from Dick, Petrino, London Crawford and Dick’s high school coach. Definitely worth a read.

So what does all this really mean? It’s only May, so at the moment, not much. But if nothing else, it seems like the QB situation is light years ahead of where it was at this point 12 months ago, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

What’s everyone’s favorite ex-Razorback coach up to these days over in Oxford? Well, according to this glowing profile in the Laurel (MS) Leader-Call, he’s certainly taking the locals by storm. Here’s the money quote:

If you meet Nutt, you will be impressed even if you are not a Rebel fan. He is an excellent people person who is a great communicator. His passion for what he does comes out very quickly. He has that look in his eye that draws you in. The look speaks outwardly that he cares about what he is selling. In this case, Ole Miss football was the sales pitch to these eager takers. When he spoke to the Rebels fans in attendance in a one-on-one meeting during the night, they all came away with these thoughts: Nutt is a genuine and a very likeable down-to-earth person with a special passion for what he does.

Also, it’s nice to see that he was able to stay true to his unique fashion sense by finding a goofy straw hat with the Ole Miss logo on it:

As America’s favorite non-sporting sporting event, the NFL Draft certainly receives a lot of coverage. And, with six players drafted the Hogs were a major factor this year. Here are some links I’ve been saving up:

* Probably the best thing I read after the draft was this interview with Felix Jones. He landed in a great situation and sounds incredibly excited about it…he refers to it as “a dream come true” three times in a short span. Here’s a good quote on how he happy he is to be a Cowboy:
It will be an honor. I know that for sure. That star represents a lot. That is something I am going to wear and play my best and I am just happy now that I am getting a chance to put it on. This is a dream come true for me. 

* Of course, there are always naysayers and Arkansas Sports 360 reminds us that some folks in Dallas aren’t too happy about Felix being their first round draft pick. (editor’s note: Why??)

* On the flip side of that argument, SI’s Don Banks has the full story on why Jerry Jones went with Felix and ESPN’s John Clayton praises the choice.

* Surely you’ve been wondering what Warren Sapp thinks about D-Mac going to the Raiders. Well, wonder no more…according to this interview with Michael Silver, he wholeheartedly approves, calling the match “a perfect fit”.

* More from Don Banks: he pegs the McFadden vs Bush vs Fargas running back situation in Oakland as one of the top training camp battles to watch.

* Several undrafted Razorbacks were invited to various training camps. Tom Murphy has the latest on Robert Felton, Michael Grant, Matteral Richardson, Weston Dacus and more.

* What does Wally think about all this? Here’s his breakdown of the draft.

We’re very excited to announce a new addition to our team of expert correspondents: the Hog Blogger. After more than a year of writing pretty much our favorite Razorback blog out there, the sorely missed thehogblogger.com, he abruptly dropped out of the public eye. Rumors abounded that he had moved to Oxford to become Houston Nutt’s personal biographer, but we were able to lure him back into the fold with a generous benefits package, including stock options and a full health plan. At any rate, the Razorback blogosphere has sorely missed his sharp wit, so without further ado, here’s his eyewitness report on Saturday’s Red-White game:

The guys at the Expats are terrible, lazy Razorback fans, so for your Spring Game coverage, they’ve foolishly outsourced, employing me — the now-defunct Hog Blogger — to give my take on what I witnessed at Razorback Stadium Saturday night.

I had been unable to see much of the Hogs’ new offense before Saturday, but after the first two series, I realized something.

I’m pretty sure I could have thrown for 300 yards in that game.

That’s not a knock on Casey Dick. I mean no disrespect to the mustachioed Willy Robinson’s defense, either.

That statement is a testament to the offensive genius that is Bobby Petrino. All the highlights, all the hype — believe what you’ve seen and heard. It’s going to happen in Fayetteville for as long as he’s here. Sure, this team will lose it’s fair share of games this year, maybe next year, and who knows after that.

For all of his past failures, I noticed something different about Dick on Saturday. He was having fun, perhaps for the first time since high school. He was making playing quarterback look easy. Tight window over the middle? Dick hit it. Quick nine-yard out? Dick hit it. Streaking receiver over the top? Dick hit him. Running back in the flat? Dick hit him too, in stride, no less.

The thing is, playing quarterback for Bobby Petrino maybe is just that easy. Something tells me Stefan LeFors might agree. (You may have to look that one up.)

Could the Hogs turn into a signature Big East, “Score 40, give up 50” team? It’s possible. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather watch the Hogs lose like that than do it by scoring three points at home against Auburn (twice in four years, I might add.)

I don’t know if these Hogs will be terrible, mediocre, or dominant this year. It’s too early to think about guessing. There’s one thing I’m sure of, though. Whatever they do, it’s going to be fun to watch.

Of course winning is “important,” but honestly, that’s all I really want when I watch the Hogs.

* Nothing was Shocking - In yesterday’s first round of the NFL Draft, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones landed where most prognosticators believed they would. Fun facts, courtesy of Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

“McFadden, a Little Rock native and two-time runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting, became the Razorbacks’ highest pick in the NFL Draft since Dan Hampton was selected fourth by the Chicago Bears in 1979.

It’s the fifth time two Razorbacks have been first-round picks, including 1967 (Loyd Phillips and Harry Jones ), 1983 (Billy Ray Smith Jr. and Gary Anderson ), 1989 (Wayne Martin and Steve Atwater ) and 2004 (Shawn Andrews and Ahmad Carroll ), but the first time two Arkansas running backs were first-rounders.”

For more coverage, including the reactions in Dallas and Oakland, visit the Razorbloggers by clicking here and here.

* In Other Draft News - Marcus Harrison was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 27th pick in the third round (90th overall).

* Offensive Behavior - The Red team posted a mere 601 yards of total offense yesterday in cruising to a 45-14 victory over the White team in Bobby Petrino’s first spring game. We’ll have more on this game later, when we post an eyewitness report from an old friend, someone whom the Razorback blogosphere misses dearly.

* No House of Payne - Forward Daniel Payne of Coffeyville (Kan. ) Community College will not joining Razorbacks next fall after all, apparently for academic reasons. Without Payne, the Hogs have five signees and are in the market for more.

The NFL Draft is almost upon us, and like my Expat counterpart, I generally find it to be one of the most ridiculous events on the yearly sporting calendar. If we could only apply the same level of intense analysis and attention to detail to some of our thornier national problems as we do the draft I’m sure things would be in much better shape right now.

But, I digress. Despite my cynicism I’m actually pretty excited about this year’s draft because of all the ex-Hogs who will factor in the mix. Here’s a quick look at how last year’s “Big Four” might fare:

* Darren McFadden. Naturally there are haters who prefer to obsess about his skinny calves rather than him blowing up the SEC for three years, but the general consensus is that he’s the top talent in the draft. However, most of the teams picking first don’t need a running back, so his future team is still very much in doubt. Earlier this week I was fretting about him going to the Raiders, but the latest buzz has him going to the Jets, who seem to be very interested in D-Dawg.

* Felix Jones. The “experts” are telling us that Felix is a late first round pick, which wouldn’t be too shabby at all. No one really knows anything, of course, but multiple mock drafts have him going to Dallas. That would seem to be a good on-the-field place for him to be, but he would be well-advised to decline any invitations to go strip clubbing with the team’s newest cornerback.

* Peyton Hillis. In a classic example of the type of overthinking that permeates most draft coverage, the word is that Peyton’s stock is dropping because he had a rough workout at the Scouting Combine in February. Only in the world of the NFL Draft would one bad day at a practice facility overrule the fact that he was money on the field for four years, but nonetheless he’ll be a solid middle round pick for someone.

* Marcus Monk. Surely every Hog fan is pulling for him after the year he’s had…passing up a solid NFL future to return for his senior year, getting seriously injured during preseason practice and then having a less impactful than hoped return to the field late in the season. The good news is that he performed well at the Scouting Combine and Pro Day and his stock is back on the rise. He won’t be a top round pick (like he might have been last year), but his future is much brighter than it seemed a few months ago.

Courtesy of Max Brantley’s Arkansas Blog, we came across this Sports Illustrated article about Darren McFadden’s efforts to address the concerns NFL franchises have about his off-field issues, such as his involvement in two bar fights. D-Mac’s strategy in short: straight talk.

We’ll highlight the same passage that Brantley did:

“Deserved or not, McFadden had an image problem. His team of advisers — including former Olympic track star Mike Conley Sr. (marketing), Ian Greengross (contracts), Mike Vick (financial planning; no relation to the quarterback of the same name) and Frank Shaw and David Cornwell (legal counsel) — decided to confront it head-on. They told McFadden to be open and honest in interviews with teams and media. Does he have a brother who used to be a Crip? Yes. And another who was a Blood. One brother is in prison for a drug-related offense, and another served five years for possession of crack with intent to distribute. McFadden spoke frankly as well about paternity questions he has faced recently and said he would accept responsibility for two children who may be his.”

Sounds like a good plan: When a string of bar brawls and paternity suits threatened to sully the Expat name a few years back, we rehabbed our image by following much the same strategy.

* Bye-Bye Beverley? - That’s the jarring headline of Brandon Marcello’s latest Slophouse blog entry. According to the post, Patrick has been making some comments on his Facebook page that could lead some to believe that he won’t be with the Hogs next season, including “I’m leaving.” Apparently, though, the page doesn’t make it clear exactly what he will be leaving. But … Marcello says he ran into Patrick at this weekend’s Real Deal on the Hill AAU Tournament, and Beverley wouldn’t comment on the matter. That doesn’t sound good.

* More Hoops News: Pelphrey continues to add to his 2008 recruiting class by inking 6-7 forward John Henry, who played high school ball in West Memphis and spent last season at Cincinnati Harmony Prep School. And, scroll down about halfway through this story, and you’ll see that the Hogs could also add 6-5 shooting guard Nick Williams of Mobile, Ala., this week. He might come in extra handy if indeed Patrick decides to take his act elsewhere.

* Draft Talk: Next Saturday marks the arrival of what I find to be the sporting world’s most obnoxious event: the NFL Draft. I usually avoid this like the plague. This year, however, there are two obvious reasons to tune in: McFadden and Jones, and I’m sure that a hefty percentage of this week’s postings will deal with speculation concerning the two. Here’s some material that’s sure to be a conversation starter: Fox NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger is no fan of D-Mac:

“I think he’s the colossal bust in this draft. He doesn’t run with patience. He’s a very incomplete back who tries to run you over. If he gets a crease, he can take it to the house. But he doesn’t break tackles and he fumbles. I’m not impressed.”

And add this unnamed scout to the list of those not overly enamored with No. 5:

“I can’t believe how skinny his calves and his shins are. It’s almost scary. It’s like a skinny wide receiver. At the running back position, you want a guy who’s a little wider on his base. is built on top, but he’s got a very skinny base. I think that’s a little bit of a concern.”

* Practice Makes Perfect - To stay on top of the football team’s spring practice, be sure to check out the Razorbloggers’ top-notch and highly detailed daily reports.

* I’m in Charge Here - Houston Nutt is back to doing what many Razorback fans think he does worst: calling plays.

Sorry about our slacker posting habits lately. Real life occasionally interferes with blogging, but we’ll get back on track soon. In the meantime, a quick rundown of some recent Hog links:

* The football Hogs have opened their first spring practices under Bobby Petrino, and there have already been some changes from the old regime. Nobody covers this sort of thing better than the RazorBloggers, so be sure to check out their most recent reports here and here.

* Nolan is heading to the Hall of Fame (but someone should make sure he’s not seated next to his old buddy Billy Packer at the induction dinner…that could get awkward).

* What do the Razorback Expats and Darren McFadden have in common? Aside from blazing speed and a nose for the end zone, we’re both Arkansas bloggers. The difference is, D-Mac has been posting a lot more than we have lately…here’s one where he breaks down his famous tattoos.

* Remember that guy who played QB before the Casey Dick era? Mitch somebody? If you do, Arkansas Sports 360 has clued us in to a radio interview he did in in New York or Seattle or wherever it is that we heard he’s playing now.

* Ever since Wally clued us in to the possibility that the Oklahoma State job opening could leave to John Pelphrey’s departure, we’ve been keeping tabs on that situation. Our Kentucky friends at A Sea of Blue have a good report on what’s what.

* News flash: Bobby Petrino is the 10th best coach in the SEC.

* We’ll take Whit E. Knight’s three part retrospective of the 1978 Final Four season over anyone else’s, but if you want more of Eddie & the Triplets, check out Bob Holt’s recent article in the Dem-Gaz.