Unga might not be finished at BYU after all

Just a couple of days after it was reported that Harvey Unga had voluntarily withdrawn from BYU for violating the school’s honor code -- and after rumors surfaced that he was headed for the NFL’s supplemental draft -- there’s now a chance that the Cougars’ all-time leading rusher could return before the start of the 2010 regular season.

Both Unga and his on-again, off-again girlfriend -- a BYU women’s basketball player -- withdrew from school during the same time period this past weekend, and now the back will be at the mercy of church leaders and school administrators as to whether or not he will be allowed back into the football program.

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

She said when a student makes the decision to withdraw, a review by the honor code office is not needed and the dean of students makes the decision regarding re-entry. Any student applying for admission or readmission into BYU must first get an “ecclesiastical endorsement” from his or her church leader.

If Unga gets that OK from his bishop, the next step is approval from BYU’s administrative leaders.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall said Unga’s preferred option is to return to BYU, not make himself available for the June supplemental draft.

“Harvey’s first choice and what he is fighting diligently for and trying to express to the administration at BYU is that he wants to be back,” Mendenhall said. “This goes back to the decision he made to not declare for the [NFL] draft and to stay at BYU. ... So that is his hope. That is his intent, and that is what he would like to do.”

A decision on readmission could be made in the “next few weeks”, the Tribune wrote, which could put Unga back on the team before the start of fall camp.