Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino covered a wide range of topics during his two hours in the Wynfrey here at SEC Media Days.

Some of it you’ve already read about on our Twitter site (@NWAOnlineHogs). Some of it you will read about in tomorrow’s paper, in stories that will run later, and on the blog throughout the rest of the week.

One thing worth mentioning now is the topic of QB Ryan Mallett’s weight. According to Petrino, Mallett weighed in at 238 pounds last week. That’s a significant improvement from the 265 he weighed when he arrived at Arkansas.

What does roughly 30 pounds mean? A lot, according to Petrino.

“In him losing the weight, being more mobile, we’re not going to lose our movement game,” Petrino said. “Our ability to run sprint outs, run the bootleg game, be able to move the pocket.

“In this league, with the defensive ends we face, the speed and athleticism of the defensive fronts, it’s important that you change the launch point, and you can set your quarterback at different spots, take some pressure off the offenisve line, running backs at times.”

While we’re on the weight subject, Petrino also was impressed by the size and athleticism of one of his new players.

Offensive lineman Zhamal Thomas, a junior college transfer, weighs 350 pounds but it doesn’t seem to affect him. Petrino said he believes Thomas could make a run at a starting spot when preseason practice begins. And he has a unique talent, apparently, for a guy of his size according to Petrino.

“I didn’t see it, but I was told he actually did a back flip the other day out on the indoor field,” Petrino said. “I would like to see it. I’d like to see a 350-pound guy do that.”