Morant returns

Dexter Morant's retirement from the Georgia football program just didn't take.

The freshman defensive player returned to the team Friday night, after telling coach Mark Richt on Tuesday that he was quitting.

"We have a new member of the team. His name's Dexter Morant," Richt said after Saturday's practice.

Richt said Morant called him Friday to say he'd made a mistake, and Richt spoke to defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and the team's seniors, who agreed to let him come back.

"Nobody wanted him to make a decision like that and have it really affect the rest of his life in a negative way," Richt said.

Morant made several trips to and from his hometown of Manning, S.C., since camp started, before finally asking to come back.

The natural, next question might be what to expect in the future from a player who has this many changes of heart. Richt answered it before the question could even be asked.

"It kind of reminds me of a former Georgia player who I think it was during the (Vince) Dooley era, I was told, he went home six times and coach Dooley sent an assistant coach to get him six different times (and) bring him back," Richt said. "He ended up being an All-American and played in a Super Bowl. I'm not gonna name names, but there's a lot of that. That kind of stuff's been going on for years, but nowadays that kind of thing gets more scrutinized than in the past."

Morant, who is 6-foot-7, is being worked at outside linebacker and defensive end. He was at Saturday's practice, but didn't participate in full contact.

Richt said the news "wasn't shocking" given that he'd heard Morant had called several teammates, saying he regretted leaving.