Rodarius “Rara” Thomas will be off the Georgia football team for the foreseeable future. The Bulldogs wide receiver was suspended indefinitely after being booked into jail around 3:20 a.m. Friday, Athens-Clarke County Jail records show.
Thomas was arrested on charges of child cruelty and assault. He is being held without bail.
Thomas' arrest marks the latest in a series of legal issues involving several members of the powerhouse college football team over the past several months.
This week’s arrest is Thomas’ second in the past 18 months. University of Georgia police arrested the wide receiver in January 2023 on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor charge of family violence assault.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas was arrested on charges of child cruelty and assault early Friday morning, July 26, 2024, in Athens, Georgia, adding to the team's recent legal troubles. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
The charges were later dropped when Thomas entered a pretrial diversion program. Details about Friday's arrest were not immediately available.
Georgia Athletic Association spokesman Steven Drummond said the situation involving Thomas “is a pending legal matter. We will not be commenting further at this time.”
TWO GEORGIA FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARRESTED ON CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS ON RECKLESS DRIVING CHARGES
Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart spoke at the Southeastern Conference media day on July 16 about attempts to address repeated traffic violations by his players.
A Georgia Bulldogs helmet during the fourth quarter of a game against the Missouri Tigers at Sanford Stadium on November 4, 2023, in Athens, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Smart said the players have been suspended and fined through the collective that provides name, image and likeness (NIL) payments to the school's athletes. Smart's policy is not to make public announcements when players are suspended.
“I don't necessarily think it's right to go into the town square and publicly shame young men,” Smart said at SEC media day earlier this month. “When that happens, they go through a lot. And there's a lot of remorse on the part of these young men who have made mistakes. But our job is to educate. To continue to grow these young men.”
A team official confirmed Thomas' suspension.
Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
The Bulldogs open the season in Atlanta on August 31 in a matchup with the Clemson Tigers.
Georgia players have been involved in 24 driving-related violations (DUI, reckless driving or speeding), The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported, including a crash that killed a player and a recruiting staff member in January 2023.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Georgia 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.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on Xand subscribe to The Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
