Georgia coach Kirby Smart dismissed wide receiver Rara Thomas from the team.
The coach announced the move Thursday to start his press conference. Smart added that he met with Thomas on Tuesday and spoke with him face-to-face.
“I had a chance to sit down and meet with him face-to-face Tuesday, which I think was really important to let him know he can no longer be part of the football team,” Smart said. “He understands that. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”
Thomas was arrested Friday morning and charged with one count of child cruelty, a felony, and two counts of battery, both misdemeanors. All three counts carried a family-violence charge. Thomas was released on $3,500 bond Tuesday.
This was not the first time Thomas has been arrested on family-violence charges, as he also was arrested in January 2023.
Those charges ultimately were dropped as part of a pretrial division program. Thomas did not miss any game time following the arrest.
Thomas is one of five Georgia players who has been arrested this offseason. Smart previously said he would not publicly announce any suspensions, but that statement was made before Thomas’ arrest.
Georgia brought in Thomas via the transfer portal, as he spent his first two seasons at Mississippi State. In his lone season with the Bulldogs, Thomas caught 23 passes for 383 yards and a touchdown.
Thomas did miss the final three games of the 2024 season after suffering a foot injury. He was expected to be an important part of the wide receiver rotation this year and possibly even a starter for the Bulldogs.
With Thomas no longer on the team, Georgia will be counting on transfer wide receiver Colbie Young and junior Dillon Bell at the X, or outside wide receiver, position. Young caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown in Georgia’s spring game after arriving from Miami this offseason.
Bell meanwhile earned strong praise from Georgia safety Malaki Starks at SEC Media Days.
“I think Dillon Bell is that guy people need to watch out for,” Starks said. “The way he works, the way he goes about his business. It’s just incredible. Just to be able to compete with a guy like that is huge, so I’m excited to see what he does this season.”
Georgia will have to replace Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint at the X position, along with Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers. The Bulldogs did bring in five wide receivers this offseason, with three coming from the transfer portal and two who are 2024 signees.
The depth of the wide receiver corps was thought to be one of the strengths of the offense. The loss of Thomas will test that.
“I think there’s so much depth on our offense and there’s so much talent that there’s not one or two names that I could really pronounce right now, which makes me excited as a quarterback,” Georgia quarterback Carson Beck said. “I’m very excited to see who those guys are going to be that step up and make those big-time plays and those big time moments.”
Georgia opens the season against Clemson on Aug. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game is set for a noon kickoff on ABC.
