Why was Georgia WR Rara Thomas arrested? Looking at latest charges against Bulldogs’ star ahead of 2024 season

Arrested Georgia Wide reciever Rara Thomas was taken into custody early Friday morning by Athens-Clarke County Police. Thomas is facing a felony charge of second-degree cruelty to children and two misdemeanor counts of battery. All charges carry a "family violence" designation.

Thomas was booked into jail at 3:20 a.m. ET and is still incarcerated pending a bond hearing. This is the second legal issue for the Georgia Wide reciever who was arrested, first in January 2023, since joining the Georgia Bulldogs in December 2022. The following month, he was arrested for false imprisonment charges and domestic battery. Both the cases were later dropped.

The nature of the charges has sent shockwaves throughout the college football community. Details surrounding the incident remain scarce as authorities continue their investigation.

Cfbtalks posted about the incident on their Instagram account. They captioned the post saying:

“BREAKING: Georgia WR RaRa Thomas was arrested early this morning on multiple counts of battery and cruelty to children by Athens-Clarke County police. Thomas was arrested on charges of family violence and false imprisonment in January 2023 just after he has transferred to the Dawgs from Mississippi State.”

“Georgia's gonna Georgia. This is becoming reminiscent of the Urban Meyer era at Florida…”

Georgia Wide reciever arrested, Rara Thomas's previous legal troubles

Rara Thomas led Mississippi State in receptions in 2022 before entering the transfer portal and ultimately choosing Athens. Less than a month after enrolling, he faced legal troubles stemming from domestic violence charges, which were dropped after he completed a pretrial diversion program.

In 2023, Thomas caught 23 passes for 383 yards, including three catches for over 30 yards and two for more than 40. Injuries sidelined him for the final three games of the season, and Thomas seemed poised for a breakout campaign in 2024.

Competition at the Bulldogs is tough at the WR position, with Dillon Bell and Colbie Young both talented prospects. That said, Rara Thomas was expected to be a key contributor and likely the starting X receiver, as per DawgsHQ. That could now be in jeopardy and while details are scarce at the moment, more information will likely come to light in due course.