Deandre Baker announces he will return to Georgia for senior season

Junior cornerback Deandre Baker will be back with the Georgia football program for the 2018 season. 

Baker announced his decision on his personal Twitter account after thinking about potentially heading to the NFL draft. Baker entered the postseason pondering whether it was time to turn professional or not. 

Baker stated that he elected to return for one more football season after discussing his future with his family. 

Baker saw his stock rise over the final stretch of the season. Against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, Baker came up with a key third-down tackle in overtime in which he had to run around a pick to keep up with receiver Marquise Brown, who the Sooners were trying to hit for a potential big play. During that same overtime sequence, Baker came up with an interception but had it negated due to an offside penalty. 

Baker also recorded a pick in the College Football Playoff National Championship against Oklahoma. 

Baker finished the 2017 season with three interceptions and nine pass breakups. His 44 total tackles ranked fourth best on the team. Baker now has five interceptions and 76 tackles during his three years with the Bulldogs. 

With Baker back, he will once again serve as Georgia's left cornerback, which is generally the side a team's best cornerback plays when facing right-handed quarterbacks. While Baker and Tyrique McGhee will be the favorites to man the outside corner spots, Georgia will be looking for replacements at star and free safety with Aaron Davis and Dominick Sanders graduating. 

Baker wasn't the only junior to announce his intention to stay another season. Receiver Terry Godwin also confirmed on his Instagram that he will be coming back. 

"I would like to thank The University Georgia for everything they've provided me with these past 3 years and the chance of the NFL but after a discuss with me and my family and my coaches I've decided to return for my senior year but 2017 was special and so will 2018," Godwin wrote. 

Baker and Godwin join defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter and safety J.R. Reed as draft-eligible players who chose to return to the program. 

This story was originally published January 15, 2018 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Deandre Baker announces he will return to Georgia for senior season."