Well, this has escalated. Alex Collins' mother has now hired an attorney, according to the Miami Herald, to represent her in what one can only assume will be legal action to keep him from signing with Arkansas. Meanwhile, the running back is set to announce within moments that he will attempt to go to Arkansas anyway.

And he appears to have a back-up plan, since his mother is obviously not interested in helping this process move along.

Confirmed that RB Alex Collins' father, Johnny Collins, is here at the signing ceremony

— Steve Gorten (@sgorten) February 7, 2013

I am by no means a lawyer, though as a journalist I sometimes play one in the newspaper. But it would seem here that the law firm of the late Johnnie Cochran has a huge task in front of it if the plan is to bar Collins from going to Arkansas. The letter will almost certainly pass muster with the NCAA, meaning that the court will have to be persuaded that there is some other reason pressing enough for it to step in and stop this.

But this is Arkansas football, and this saga has already become weird beyond belief. So don't count anything out just yet.

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Quick Update: Collins has signed. Arkansas' and the mother's moves are next.