There has been plenty of talk over the past few days about the possibility of Arkansas secondary coach Lorenzo Ward leaving to work with his close friend, South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.

  Ward came to Arkansas after Johnson was hired as the school’s defensive coordinator. And once Johnson left to go back home to South Carolina, it was assumed that it was only a matter of time before Ward would leave for the Gamecocks.

  Well, now South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has an opening for a safeties coach after Ron Cooper took a job at LSU. Naturally, Ward’s name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the job.

  Ward and Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino have been unavailable for comment while out recruiting. But here is some information that appeared today on a South Carolina blog run by The State (S.C.) newspaper.

  ”On the coaching front, USC defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson remains interested in Arkansas assistant Lorenzo Ward for Ron Cooper’s former position. But Ward has a multiyear deal with the Razorbacks and likely will be looking for another one.

  USC athletics director Eric Hyman has generally reserved multiyear contracts for coordinators. But there is some wiggle room, as evidenced by the three-year deal new O-line coach Eric Wolford received to be the Gamecocks’ running game coordinator, a newly created position.

  Could be that if USC wants Ward, it will have to make him the pass defense coordinator or come up with some other title.”

  Hopefully, someone from Arkansas -preferably Petrino or Ward – will break their month-long silence and talk to the media about the situation. For now, it’s all silence.