Rara Thomas dismissed from Georgia Football team after battery, child cruelty arrest

Rara Thomas has been dismissed from the Georgia Bulldogs following the receiver’s Friday morning arrest on two misdemeanor battery charges and one felony cruelty to children charge. Dawgs HQ shared the news that head coach Kirby Smart dismissed Thomas.

“On Rara, had a chance to sit down and meet with him face-to-face Tuesday, which I think was really important and let him know that he can no longer be a part of the football team,” Smart said. “He understands that and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

In addition to the wide receiver’s recent run-in with the law, Thomas has faced similar off-field issues, including less than a month into arriving in Athens. The former Mississippi State transfer was arrested for a misdemeanor count of family violence and a felony account of false imprisonment, per Jake Rowe of DawgsHQ.

“Each of those charges were soon dropped as Thomas entered a pretrial diversion program and was required complete anger management and community service,” Rowe reported.

Thomas’ arrest and subsequent dismissal comes at a concerning time for Georgia and head coach Kirby Smart, who has faced criticism with a litany of players have been arrested for an array of driving violations.

Bulldogs starters like Smael Mondon and Bo Hughley were arrested and charged with reckless driving, while others like running back Trevor Etienne and receiver Sacovie White have also been run into trouble with the law earlier this year, as well.

There’s been an outcry from fans and media members alike to do something about it, and it seems as if Smart and the rest of the Bulldogs decision-makers are attempting to do so.

Dismissing Thomas is no small gesture, even if the wide receiver struggled at times to fit into the Bulldogs offense last season. Regardless, he still showed an ability to make a highlight reel play every now and then.

All in all, Thomas caught 23 passes for 383 yards and a touchdown in 2023. Additionally, he had three catches for 30 or more yards and two of 40-plus.

“Once I picked it up, I started being myself,” Thomas told DawgsHQ, following the Orange Bowl back in January, regarding how he fit into Georgia’s offense in 2023. “When I didn’t know the offense, I was kind of frustrated. I didn’t know what to do. But once I got the hang of it, I started playing ball.”

Entering a new campaign, Thomas was expected to be a major part of Georgia’s offense in his second season, according to Rowe. “He was in position to be the Bulldogs’ starting X receiver, competing with Dillon Bell and Colbie Young, a transfer from Miami, for that job,” he reported. 

Evidently, a future in football seems murkier than ever for Rara Thomas at the moment, and it looks like his time in Athens is over. As for the team’s overall affliction with the law, and how it’ll be handled in the future at Georgia, perhaps the wide receiver’s dismissal is the first step for the Bulldogs.