Georgia lands WR Rara Thomas out of transfer portal
Georgia has landed a key piece to its 2023 team out of the transfer portal. Mississippi State wide receiver Rara Thomas has committed to play his junior season of college ball at UGA. Thomas recently took an unofficial visit to Athens that lasted from Saturday to Monday.
Auburn, Ole Miss, and Tennessee were in hot pursuit of Thomas. He had a visit set up for Tennessee on December 16 but didn’t make it. He also visited Auburn twice and Ole Miss once.
As a sophomore at MSU, Thomas led the team in receiving yards with 626 in 12 games. He caught 44 passes to get there and reached the end zone seven times. It was a breakout season for the Euphaula, Ala. native, who signed with Mississippi State as a three-star prospect in the 2021 class. His first season of college ball saw him catch 18 passes for 252 yards and five touchdowns.
The Bulldogs aren’t expected to lose many, if any, players at the receiver position and they have four committed in the 2023 class. Looking at that information, one might wonder why Kirby Smart and company are going after the rising junior.
The reasoning lies on the UGA practice field this season. Georgia, at times, barely had enough healthy scholarship receivers to practice. When Arian Smith and AD Mitchell were recovering from ankle injures and other receivers like Ladd McConkey dinged up throughout the week but finding a way to play on Saturday, Bryan McClendon’s group was quite thin.
That’s why the Bulldogs targeted Thomas and other pass catchers out of the transfer portal. They’re searching for guys who are ready to play right away and proven playmakers who can increase the competition and, as a result, the level of play at receiver.
Thomas entered the portal soon after it opened in early December and was the first player to report an offer from the Bulldogs. Next came Kent State wideout Dante Cephas, who the Georgia staff saw in person this year when the Golden Flashes came to Sanford Stadium. Cephas didn’t have a big day but he has almost 2,000 receiving yards over the past two seasons. He, too, has garnered a great deal of interest since entering the portal.
DawgsHQ’s intel suggests that the Bulldogs would like to add at least one more wide receiver from the transfer portal. Georgia is looking for wideouts who have the skillset to play the outside (X and Z) receiver positions.
Georgia did not take a player from the transfer portal last offseason. It instead elected to lean on those who chose to return for an additional season as well as strong recruiting classes for the past few seasons. It has paid off thus far as the Bulldogs are two wins from earning back-to-back National Championships.
It all starts with a College Football Playoff Semifinal matchup with No. 4 Ohio State in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on December 31. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
