Georgia receivers strong at top still after Rara Thomas dismissal
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia head coach Kirby Smart announced the dismissal of wide receiver Rara Thomas from the football program on Thursday, and with that, the Bulldogs depth of pass catchers took a hit.
Thomas, who would’ve been in his second season post-transfer from Mississippi State, was expected to be a key contributor. Among receivers with 10 or more grabs in 2023, Thomas’ 16.65 yards per catch was a team-high. Now, that’s no longer, and Georgia will be forced to look elsewhere at wide receiver.
That’s okay according to Smart, who enters his ninth season as head coach in Athens. Dominic Lovett hauled in 54 passes for 613 yards and four scores last season. Dillon Bell showed tons of promise with his versatile skillet, totaling 29 receptions for 355 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. Then there’s the likes of Arian Smith, Anthony Evans and the promising trio of transfers the Bulldogs added in the offseason. Even without Thomas, there’s options.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that are pass-catchers back,” Smart said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have played in Dillon Bell, Arian, Colbie (Young) for another team’s played, Dom’s been very successful and gotten a lot of catches.”
“We have depth at the top. I think we’ve gotta find more guys that can contribute in that room,” he continued. “Maybe they haven’t had their opportunity. Maybe they’re talented and pick things up quickly. We have several guys that came in from the portal with Mike Jackson and London (Humphreys), so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to each one gets to grow, and that really starts today.”
Among those named by Smart, Smith is the oldest. A 2020 signee, he’s been through it all at Georgia but believes that there’s more in the tank. Last year he didn’t quite meet expectations. Only eight catches in his healthiest season to date was a disappointment. This year, he’s hopeful and optimistic, both for himself and the receiver room as a whole.
“Losing Marcus and losing Ladd, I’m the last one from that class. I’ve been here for a while, know the ins and outs of the program, know what to do, what the standard is and how to win,” Smith said.
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“The kind of guys we have, I feel like we’ve got a lot of good guys in the room,” he added about the room on the whole. “We have a lot of potential, a lot of young guys and if they can follow the footsteps of the older guys during this stretch of camp, they’ll be able to play and help us win games down the stretch.”
So, while the dismissal of Thomas is far from ideal, it’s going to be okay for Georgia. With what the Bulldogs still have, the ceiling remains as high for the receivers as its been in quite some time. Developing depth will be key though, so guys like Sacovie White and Nitro Tuggle could be called upon earlier than expected to keep fresh legs on the field behind the talented top end of the rotation.
“I’m fired up about that group,” Smart added to his earlier comments. “We’ve got a good group of protectors around them and a good quarterback to get them the ball and a good group of tight ends.”
Georgia kicks off the 2024 campaign later this month in Atlanta against Clemson. The Bulldogs are expected to be named the preseason top-ranked squad when polls are released in the coming weeks while the Tigers are likely a top-15 too, setting up what has the makings of a special season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
