Georgia Bulldogs Wide Receiver Rara Thomas Suspended Indefinitely After Arrest

University of Georgia wide receiver Rodarius "Rara" Thomas has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested on charges of cruelty to children and battery. This is the latest in a string of legal issues involving members of the Bulldogs football team in recent months.

Rodarius "Rara" Thomas, a wide receiver for the University of Georgia football team, has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested early Friday morning on charges of cruelty to children and battery. Thomas was booked into jail around 3:20 a.m. and is being held without bail.

The arrest is the latest in a series of legal troubles involving members of the Bulldogs football team. In January 2023, Thomas was arrested on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery. Those charges were later dropped when Thomas entered a pretrial diversion program.

Georgia Bulldogs Wide Receiver Rara Thomas Suspended Indefinitely After Arrest

Details about Friday's arrest were not immediately available. Georgia Athletic Association spokesperson Steven Drummond said the situation involving Thomas "is a pending legal matter. We will have no further comment at this point."

Head coach Kirby Smart spoke about attempts to address repeated driving offenses by his players at Southeastern Conference media days on July 16. Smart said players have been suspended and fined through the collective that provides name, image and likeness (NIL) payments to the school's athletes.

Georgia Bulldogs Wide Receiver Rara Thomas Suspended Indefinitely After Arrest

"I don't necessarily think it's right to go down to the town square and publicly shame kids," Smart said. "When that happens, they go through a lot. And there's a lot of remorse from these young men who've made mistakes. But our job is to educate. Continue to grow these young men."

According to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Georgia players have been involved in 24 driving-related violations (DUI, reckless driving or speeding). This includes a crash that killed a player and a recruiting staffer in January 2023.

Georgia Bulldogs Wide Receiver Rara Thomas Suspended Indefinitely After Arrest

Offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car crash on Jan. 15, 2023, just days after the Bulldogs won the national title game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.