Former Georgia DB JaCorey Thomas commits to West Virginia in light of eligibility lawsuit
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Former Georgia defensive back JaCorey Thomas has committed to West Virginia. Thomas was one of the names listed in a TRO issued by a judge in Dallas that restored eligibility for the upcoming season for nearly 40 players.
Thomas was one of four players named that spent time with an NFL organization this offseason (former SMU wide receiver Jordan Hudson, former Washington wide receiver Omari Evans, and former Miami linebacker Wesley Bissainthe). He will now spend his fifth season of college football in Morgantown, playing for the Mountaineers.
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The defensive back went through rookie minicamp with the Carolina Panthers earlier this year. He was a starter at Georgia in 2025, where he recorded 45 tackles and a sack. Across his four years with the program, Thomas recorded 63 tackles and one sack. Just days before the Dallas judge granted the TRO, On3 reported that Thomas planned to file a lawsuit against the NCAA. He joined the motion in Dallas and was promptly granted eligibility.
Thomas joins a West Virginia program in the midst of the second season of head coach Rich Rodriguez‘s second stint. Last year, Rodriguez led the Mountaineers to a 4-8 record. In his second season at WVU in his first tenure (2002), he increased the program’s win total by six (three to nine).
More on Dallas judge’s TRO
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, the TRO named the NCAA, SEC and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey as defendants. That came within days of the SEC originally announcing a ban on former professional players playing for teams within the conference.
The SEC’s move – which was unanimous, according to Yahoo! Sports – came as lawsuits around the country have opened the door for players who previously exhausted their eligibility to receive another season at the collegiate level.
“Following meetings with the presidents, chancellors, and athletics directors of the Southeastern Conference, the SEC will enforce the following policy: An SEC institution is NOT permitted to have an athlete on its roster who has:
- Previously declared for the NFL, NBA, or WNBA DRAFT, and did not appropriately withdraw,
- Signed a contract with an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) team, or
- Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate roster).
“The commissioner is authorized to enforce this expectation with penalties against members institutions,” the statement from the SEC presidents, chancellors and athletic directors read.
On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this article.
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