FAYETTEVILLE — Former Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett spent his first official day as a Razorback registering for classes Wednesday.

Mallett, of Texarkana, transferred to Arkansas this week. Arkansas announced the transfer after receiving his paperwork from Michigan.

Mallett, 6-7, 252 pounds, will have to sit out a year because of NCAA transfer rules before becoming eligible in 2009. He will have three years of eligibility at Arkansas.

Mallett visited Arkansas this past weekend and moved in with tight end Ben Cleveland on Monday.

“We got all the paperwork to certify him as a student-athlete,” said Marvin Caston, the university’s assistant athletic director of compliance. “The protocol in place to get these things sent from this place to this place, that’s where some of the hangups took place. It takes time.

“ We just had to go through the process and be patient. We had to do it right so nothing can come back and bite us later.”

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino was out of town recruiting and would not have a statement about Mallett’s transfer, said Kevin Trainor, Arkansas’ associate athletic director for external affairs.

Senior-to-be Casey Dick is scheduled to return as Arkansas’ starting quarterback next season. Nathan Dick, Casey’s younger brother, will be a redshirt freshman, and the Razorbacks have oral commitments from Camden Fairview’s Jim Youngblood and Greenwood’s Tyler Wilson.

Mallett played in 11 games as a true freshman for the Wolverines, playing in place of injured starter Chad Henne. Mallett completed 61 of 141 passes for 892 yards, 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

Lloyd Carr stepped down as Michigan’s coach after the season, and the Wolverines hired former West Virginia Coach Rich Rodriguez to replace Carr. Mallett announced his intentions to transfer, since his dropback style doesn’t fit in Rodriguez’s Spread Option offense.

Mallett considered Arkansas as a high school recruit and struck up a friendship with Cleveland during the recruiting process. Mallett reportedly thought about transferring to Arkansas this past season before deciding to stay at Michigan.

Cleveland said Wednesday that Mallett didn’t want to comment and spent the day registering for classes. He said Mallett was relieved when his paperwork was taken care of.

“He’s real happy to get it done,” Cleveland said.