A University of Georgia football player arrested last week after an alleged domestic violence incident is no longer part of the team.
Rara Thomas, a wide receiver who played for the Bulldogs in 2023, was arrested on July 26 in Athens on one felony count of child cruelty and two misdemeanor battery counts. He was suspended from the team on the day of his arrest.
Speaking at a preseason press conference on Thursday, coach Kirby Smart confirmed Thomas’s dismissal from the squad.
“I 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 and he understands that, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward,” Smart said.
Thomas’s arrest in July was not his first brush with the law. He was arrested in early 2023 for another family violence incident. Thomas attended a pretrial diversion program, and the charges were dropped.
Thomas, a transfer from Mississippi State University, played several games for the Bulldogs following his 2023 arrest. His case is the latest in a series of player arrests, primarily for driving offenses, that have plagued the program in recent years.
This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA
