Mitch Williford’s two-week audition at free safety for Georgia Southern’s football team has ended.

For Monday’s practice, the rising senior was moved back to wide receiver, where he has been a starter in each of the past three seasons.

GSU head coach Jeff Monken said the decision to move Williford back to wide receiver was based "on where we think he’s at right now compared to the other guys. He was a starter on offense and, right now, he’s not a first team guy on defense and just doesn’t appear to be making a move to beat any of those guys out over there.

"I think the best decision for our team is to bring him back over here on offense. We had him over here on defense for two weeks and he did some good things. He’s a fast learner. The mental part of it, he really picked up on, just as he had on offense. I think his best opportunity to help our team is to play wide receiver."

The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Williford said he just wants to help GSU win games.

"(The coaches) told me that they wanted me back on offense and thought I could be more productive over on that side of the ball, so I said alright," Williford said. "Whatever they say, I know that it’s best for the team, so I just agree."

Last month, Williford volunteered to move from wide receiver to free safety because "we have a bunch of receivers and I know we’re kind of slim on safeties," he said.

A lack of depth in the secondary is a major concern for GSU. Free safety Michael Butler was a senior last season. The Eagles also lost safety Derek Heyden, who suffered a neck injury and did not return. GSU also lost senior cornerbacks Laron Scott and Hudson Presume, as well as freshman cornerback Riyahd Jones, who is no longer enrolled.

"I had kind of been thinking about it (since last fall)," Williford said. "Kind of when Derek (Heyden) wasn’t really sure about what he was going to do. I talked to him and I was like, ‘If you don’t come back, I know we’re only going to have five or six safeties. And I would like to try that.’ He said, ‘That’s cool. Maybe I can help you out a little bit.’ That’s when I started talking about it a little bit with some of the guys, and mentioned it to my parents, and that’s when I came in and talked to the coaches about it."

Williford was no stranger to playing defense. He was a safety for three seasons at Peachtree Ridge High School in Duluth, where he also played wide receiver during his junior and senior seasons.

"I had some looks to play safety in college but ended up coming here to play receiver," he said.

As a GSU freshman in 2009, Williford started in six of the 11 games in which he played. He made 29 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown, including a career-best seven catches for 64 yards against Wofford.

As a sophomore, Williford started in 11 of the 14 games in which he played and made 12 catches for 151 yards.

Last season, as a junior, Williford started in six of the 14 games in which he played. He caught two passes for 20 yards.

Williford said he was grateful for the opportunity GSU’s coaches gave him on defense.

"I had a lot of fun," he said. "It was good to do something different."

Swope hospitalized

B-back Dominique Swope taken by ambulance to East Georgia Regional Medical Center during Monday’s practice after collapsing while running with the football.

Swope, a rising sophomore from Buford, appeared to suffer an injury or cramp to his right hamstring, which he grabbed as he fell untouched to the ground just before 6 p.m.

"Don’t know what it is right now," Monken said after practice. "We’ll find out when (the doctors) assess it. Hopefully, it was just cramping."

Osunde’s mother dies

Defensive end George Osunde will not practice this week because he will be in England, where his mother recently died, GSU interim sports information director Barrett Gilham said Monday.

Osunde, a rising senior from Alpharetta, was born in Croydon, England.

Brown to have more tests

A-back Robert Brown, who has not practiced this spring because of a back injury, is scheduled to undergo further tests.

"We’re going to get some more tests done on him and just see how that back is before we put him back in there," Monken said.

This and that

Offensive lineman Trevor McBurnett did not practice Monday and continued to wear a boot on his left foot because of a high ankle sprain. McBurnett, who is expected to start at right guard, was in uniform and on the field but he did not compete. He spent a portion of practice videotaping the offensive line’s drills. … GSU will practice at 3:45 p.m. today and Thursday at Beautiful Eagle Creek. … The Eagles will scrimmage Saturday morning at Paulson Stadium at a time to be announced by GSU later this week.