Link to Article on The Red & Black
By Olivia Sayer
Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas (5) runs with the ball during a NCAA college football game between Ole Miss and Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Georgia won 52-17. (Photo/Landen Todd @whats_landophoto)
Georgia football dismissed wide receiver Rara Thomas from the team, head football coach Kirby Smart announced Thursday.
“I had a chance to sit down and meet with him face to face Tuesday, which I think was really important,” Smart said. “And let him know that he can no longer be a part of the football team.”
The dismissal comes after Thomas was arrested last month on a felony charge of cruelty to children and two misdemeanor counts of battery. The charges come about a year after Thomas was booked on a felony charge and misdemeanor charge that were later dropped.
“He understands, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward,” Smart said of Thomas.
Thomas was expected to be a key contributor for the Bulldogs this season, after finishing 2023 fifth on the team in yards receiving. With his dismissal, Georgia will now likely lean on returners Dillon Bell, Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith, as well as incoming transfers London Humphreys and Colbie Young, to fill the receiver room.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that are pass catchers back,” Smart said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have played. I’m looking forward to seeing the opportunity each one gets to grow and get better, and it really starts today. I’m fired up about that group.”
The Bulldogs begin fall camp Thursday and will kick off their season Aug. 31 against Clemson in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.