Ex-Bulldog turned pro plans return to college football, just not with Georgia

Former Georgia defensive back JaCorey Thomas attempted to make it in the NFL this offseason, but now he is eyeing a return to college football.

College athletics continues to operate in a weird state as NIL and the Transfer Portal continue to alter the college football landscape. The latest development is players who turned pro this past year attempting to return to school after a judge ruled in favor of high school class of 2022 players getting a fifth year of eligibility.

These players who left school for whatever reason could attempt to come back and play one more year, and JaCorey Thomas made his intentions clear that he wants to do that. He however doesn’t want to return to Georgia as he plans to enter the Transfer Portal if his lawsuit is successful.

JaCorey Thomas wants to come back to college, but wants nothing to do with Georgia

After four seasons with Georgia, JaCorey Thomas made an attempt to make it in the NFL this offseason. He went undrafted at the 2026 NFL Draft, but he participated in a minicamp with the Carolina Panthers. That minicamp didn’t earn him any other opportunities though, so now he is attempting to return to college football.

He however doesn’t want to come back to Georgia.

There’s a chance Georgia doesn’t want him back for a fifth year either. Thomas was a solid player for Georgia throughout his career, but he only ever made a significant impact during the 2025 season where he recorded 45 tackles and one sack. The Bulldogs’ secondary has plenty of depth this season especially with safety Kyron Jones returning from injury as well, so there really isn’t a need to add another player in the mix who isn’t a superstar.

It still isn’t a 100 percent guarantee that he will be able to play college football this season as the NCAA is pushing for players who turned pro to be unable to come back. Week zero games begin this weekend as well, so it will be difficult to get acclimated with a new team in time for the season to begin if Thomas is allowed. He however is attempting to come back though, but it doesn’t look like Georgia will be involved whatsoever.

Georgia football could benefit from some ex-Bulldogs returning for another year

Georgia’s secondary is relatively full, so Thomas coming back to Athens doesn’t make a lot of sense. There are other positions though that could benefit from some help.

Georgia’s wide receiver room is young and inexperienced. That doesn’t mean they will be bad, but it would be nice to have some more experience at the start of the season. Players like Noah Thomas and Dillon Bell would be particularly helpful if they came back for this season, but neither has shown any interest in that.

Running back Cash Jones could be a great option as well. Transfer Dante Dowdell figured to be his replacement as Georgia’s third down back, but a serious off-the-field injury may have already ended his season. Jones could come back and essentially play the same role he did the last two years, but he just scored his first touchdown in an Atlanta Falcons’ preseason game this weekend so he may not have any interest in coming back either.

It will be interesting to see if the court rules in Thomas’ favor and where he decides to transfer if he’s allowed. Who knows if he’ll be able to join a team in time to make a significant impact, but that is his goal for now.

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