Someone has let the Dawg back in.

Just a few months after stepping away from American Idol as a judge, Randy Jackson is reportedly on his way back as a mentor.

According to Deadline sources, Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine will not return next season as the in-house contestant mentor, leaving the door open for Jackson to return to Idol in a different capacity. Negotiations are reportedly ongoing, but a deal is near.

Idol, of course, is looking to rebound from its worth rated season to date.

Keith Urban will return next year as a judge and will likely be joined by Jennifer Lopez. But the competition has struck out in attempts to land Diddy or Kanye West for its third spot and is now considering producer Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald or Justin Bieber manager Scooter Braun.

Back to Jackson, though: Are you excited for his American Idol return?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.