Georgia player arrests: Bulldogs charged in 2024 CFB offseason ft. WR Rara Thomas

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Rara Thomas was arrested on Friday morning and charged with second-degree cruelty to children and battery. It is not the first time Thomas has faced legal trouble as he was also charged with a felony and one misdemeanor count due to domestic violence back in January 2023.

The Athens Herald shared the details included in the report made by Athens-Clarke County police.

“According to an Athens-Clarke County police statement, police responded to a domestic violence call at 1:34 a.m. Friday on Mill Creek Way. Police said the domestic violence was against Thomas’ child,” the police report stated. “Thomas was charged and booked into the Clarke County jail. Thomas’ booking occurred at 3:20 a.m.; he was still held at the jail Friday afternoon.”

Multiple arrests have been made on Georgia players since the beginning of 2023. Devin Willock and recruiting officer Chandler LeCroy died after a high-speed race during celebrations of the national championship win.

Georgia has also been hit with 26 arrests for several violations including racing, driving recklessly, and speeding. In the last few weeks alone, Savoie White, Trevor Etienne, Bo Hughley, Demello Jones, and Smael Mondon have all been arrested for various driving offenses.

According to reports by "UGA Sports.com" analyst Anthony Dasher, Thomas has been suspended indefinitely by Georgia coach Kirby Smart.

Kirby Smart addresses Georgia arrests

The multiple arrests of Georgia Bulldogs players have not helped Kirby Smart's preparations for next season. During the SEC Media Days, the Bulldogs coach addressed the incidents and highlighted his disappointment with his players.

“The incidents that we’ve had off the field are not something that we condone,” Smart said. “It’s very unfortunate, disappointing I guess is the best word. I always talk about processes and outcomes. I talked about that with wins and losses that we try not to base things on the outcomes with wins and losses. In this situation, the outcomes are very disappointing.”

Smart also revealed that there would be consequences for all the players who had been arrested.

“We’ll have suspensions coming out of some of these,” Smart said. “I think everybody wants to know, what game and are they suspended? ... As far as I know, there’s not one team in the country that’s ever suspended a player for traffic violations. That’s what Marcus Rosemy got suspended for (last year)."

The Georgia Bulldogs are widely regarded as the No. 1 ranked team heading into the new season but the off-field distractions could affect the team's morale.