UPDATED: Georgia WR Rara Thomas jailed on multiple counts, suspended
UPDATE 4:30 PM: Per a team source, Thomas has been suspended indefinitely.
Georgia wideout Rara Thomas was arrested early Friday morning on two counts of battery, both misdemeanors, and one count of second-degree cruelty to children, a felony. All three of the charges carry a “family violence” distinction.
Thomas was arrested by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and is still incarcerated as he awaits a bond hearing. He was taken into custody and booked into the jail at 3:20 a.m. ET.
The Eufaula, Ala. native is in his second season at Georgia. Thomas was at Mississippi State for his first two years, leading the Bulldogs in receiving for the 2022 season. He entered the transfer portal after that season and was courted by the likes of Auburn, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, among others, before choosing Athens to continue his football future.
It wasn’t long after Thomas got to the Classic City that he experienced his first run in with the law in a very similar way. Less than a month after enrolling, Thomas was arrested at a similar time of day for a misdemeanor count of family violence and a felony account of false imprisonment. Each of those charges were soon dropped as Thomas entered a pretrial diversion program and was required complete anger management and community service.
Thomas played the 2023 season at Georgia where he struggled at times to learn the offense but flashed the ability to create big plays. He caught 23 passes for 383 yards and a touchdown on the year. Thomas had three catches for 30 or more yards and two of 40-plus. He also missed the final three games of the season with a broken foot, including Georgia’s only loss of the season to Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
Thomas was expected to be a major part of Georgia’s offense in his second season. 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.
