Just two days ago, the Tennessee Volunteers' All-SEC wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers wasn't at practice, had his head coach saying he didn't know when he'd back, and was rumored to be well on his way to transferring to Georgia State.But as has already been the case once with Rogers, just as it looked like his days in Knoxville might be numbered, everything has seemingly returned to normal. Rogers took part in the Vols' Saturday practice and Derek Dooley told reporters Rogers was "fine."
Dooley said that during his two-day absence Rogers had addressed the issues that had led to his temporary exile from practice and enjoyed a productive day on Saturday.
"He had a good day," Dooley said. He added that a potential transfer "didn't even come up" during discussions between the two.
For all the reasons detailed here regarding the Vols' top-heavy receiving depth chart, Rogers' safe return to the Volunteer fold will no doubt be welcome news to the Tennessee fanbase. The only worry: after multiple such episodes (including one in which he reportedly threatened a strength coach), is Rogers due for another at some point? Given how thin the line could prove to be between a successful, Dooley-saving 2012 season and another 5-7 disappointment, a similar blow-up at the wrong time could be catastrophic.
But given Roger's immense talent, the Vols' lack of a replacement, and Dooley's desperation, Tennessee doesn't have any choice; they're going to have to ride things out with Rogers and hope for the best.
