It's been an offseason filled with distractions for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Head coach Kirby Smart accidentally contributed to those distractions over the weekend.
The Bulldogs head coach typically sends out happy birthday posts on X to his players to celebrate their day. Unfortunately, Smart quickly got into hot water after a now-deleted post where he wished wide receiver Rara Thomas a happy birthday.
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) July 28, 2024
Thomas has been indefinitely suspended by the Georgia program after a reported arrest on Friday morning. According to police reports, the talented receiver was arrested and charged with a second-degree felony in cruelty to children-family violence along with two misdemeanor charges of battery-family violence.
This isn't the first time that Thomas has been arrested while at Georgia, either. He was previously arrested in January of 2023 for false imprisonment.
Smart almost certainly doesn't control his own X account, but the deleted post to wish Thomas a happy birthday days after his arrest is a tough look for the program.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs continue to deal with other off-field issues, most notably involving reckless driving. The program has now had 29 arrests or citations related to speeding and reckless driving since an accident that killed a staffer and player in January of 2023.
An indefinite suspension for Thomas means that the Bulldogs could play the entire 2024 season without the receiver. Carson Beck should still be able to carry the load, especially with the teams dynamic playmakers like Dillon Bell, Dominic Lovett, Oscar Delp, Benjamin Yurosek, and Trevor Etienne.
Georgia opens its season on August 31 against Clemson, and will presumably do so without Thomas.
