ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas is no longer with the Bulldogs, head coach Kirby Smart announced on Thursday.
He is no longer listed on the team's roster.
Athens Clarke-County police arrested Thomas on Friday, July 26 on one felony charge of second-degree cruelty and two misdemeanor charges of battery, according to the Athens Clarke-County Police Department.
Thomas' dismissal from the team comes nearly a week after his initial indefinite suspension.
Smart said that he sat down with Thomas on Tuesday and told him that he would no longer be on the team.
"He can no longer be part of the football team," Smart said. "He understands that. We wish him the best moving forward."
The ACCPD said they arrived at the 300 block of Mill Creek Way due to a domestic violence call they received around 1:35 a.m. Thomas was arrested, charged and booked into the Clarke County Jail that day. He did not have bail up to that point.
Thomas was released from jail on a $3,500 bond on Tuesday. He spent four days in jail before his bond was set.
"I am pleased that bond could be set and Mr. Thomas released while we fully investigate the case," Thomas' attorney, Kim Stephens, said in a statement on Tuesday. "We expect that this matter can be resolved swiftly and fairly once all facts are known."
This wasn't his first arrest, however. In 2023, when the former Mississippi State wide receiver first transferred to the Bulldogs, Thomas was arrested for false imprisonment and battery-family violence.
The Athens Banner-Hearld also reported on July 26 that he had been stopped by the ACCPD three separate times for speeding this offseason. One incident included him driving 73 mph in a 40-mph zone on Barnett Shoals Road.
This is the same road where former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was allegedly racing recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy on Jan. 15, 2023. The SUV LeCroy was driving left the road and crashed, which resulted ultimately killed her and former Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock.
The now-former Bulldog is the second player to be removed from the team this offseason. He joins fellow senior David Daniel-Sisavanh, who was arrested for reckless driving in February.
Thomas' arrest was the third in July. He joined redshirt freshman offensive lineman Bo Hughley, who was arrested on failure to maintain lane and reckless driving charges, and senior linebacker Smael Mondon Jr., who also received a reckless driving charge alongside racing on highways and/or streets. A fourth player, freshman defensive back Demello Jones, was charged alongside Mondon, but wasn't arrested.
Georgia's arrest numbers in 2024 are getting closer to double digits. Players like Trevor Etienne and Sacovie White were also arrested earlier this year.
