‘He is a baller’: Mississippi State players rave about Georgia receiver RaRa Thomas

The Georgia Bulldogs went into the transfer portal for help at receiver this winter and landed a promising playmaker in Mississippi State’s RaRa Thomas. Thomas is waiting for his first chance to play for Georgia, but his old teammates in Starkville believe he is well-suited to stand out in Athens.

Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jo'Quavious Marks spoke about Thomas’ ability two weeks ago at SEC Media Days. Thomas led Mississippi State in receiving yards a year ago and had the second-most catches, and for Rogers, the Eufaula, Alabama native was someone he could count on to go up and make a play.

“[What comes to mind is] just his athletic ability. He's just got really good ball skills. I was telling somebody, I don't think he started playing football until he was a junior in high school. But he does a really good job. He plays the ball in the air really well,” Rogers said. “[Having a receiver like RaRa] was pretty big. You know, anytime you get man-to-man coverage and give a guy a chance like that, odds are he's going to come down with it.”

Thomas was a consistent playmaker for the maroon Bulldogs this fall, as he led the team with 626 receiving yards and also had 44 receptions for 7 touchdowns. Thomas’ most productive game of the fall came on Oct. 1, when he caught 5 passes for a career-high 134 yards — which included a 75-yard touchdown catch — in the Bulldogs’ 42-24 drubbing of Texas A&M.

Georgia actually held Thomas in check when Georgia faced Mississippi State on Nov. 12, as Thomas only had 2 receptions for 23 yards in the road Bulldogs’ 45-19 victory.

Thomas came to Mississippi State as a three-star prospect in the 2021 cycle but played a legitimate role as a true freshman. He made three starts and played in 10 games and ultimately ended the year with 18 receptions for 252 yards and 5 touchdowns. His 14.0 yards per reception led the team among receivers who had more than 2 receptions.

Thomas signed with Mississippi State after a senior season at Eufaula which featured 55 receptions for 945 yards and 13 touchdowns. Thomas’ play helped the Tigers win nine games and reach the second round of Alabama’s Class 6A state playoffs.

It remains to be seen when Thomas will see the field for the first time as a Georgia Bulldog. Thomas went through spring practice after being arrested in January on charges of false imprisonment and family violence (the felony charge of false imprisonment was ultimately dropped in March). Thomas did not participate on offense during the Bulldogs’ G-Day game on April 15.

"RaRa has some things he has to work on, and we're working on those things,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the spring game. “He was with us and he did some special teams things, but he did not play on the offensive side of the ball.”

When asked about Thomas at SEC Media Days, Marks’ mind immediately went to Thomas’ ability to go up and get the ball. Off the field, Marks said Thomas was a pretty quiet teammate but showed a sense of humor away from the game.

As for what Georgia fans should expect from Thomas, Marks didn’t hold back.

"A baller with a capital B, with a capital A — All caps. BALLER,” Marks said. “He is a baller.”