WVU football, former Georgia safety JaCorey Thomas receives preliminary injunction to play in 2026
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia football received some good news out of the courtroom Wednesday afternoon. Newly committed Georgia safety transfer JaCorey Thomas was granted eligibility by receiving a preliminary injunction from Judge Kara Krothe of the Monroe County Circuit Court in Indiana.
Thomas was one of around 100 college athletes seeking an injunction Wednesday afternoon after the NCAA made new 5-for-5 rules regarding eligibility, which didn't include class of 2022 athletes.
Thomas has been practicing with the teams since committing just before the season started, and was even spotted on the sidelines of the U.T. Martin game. Thomas played for the Bulldogs for four seasons. Last year, Thomas had 45 tackles and a sack. Since, under the old rules, Thomas ran out of eligibility, he went to look to play professionally. He didn't end up on an NFL roster, but attended NFL rookie minicamp for the Carolina Panthers.
Rich Rodriguez called his friend, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, to find out more information on Thomas, and Smart said nothing but good things. Rodriguez decided to bring in Thomas to help with the secondary. Thomas is expected to be a "plug-and-play" player since he has college football experience.
There isn't any official word that Thomas will play against Oklahoma State. But, it could be a prime landing spot. The Cowboys’ offense passes the ball a lot with quarterback Drew Mestenmaker, who led the FBS in passing yards and was third in passing touchdowns.
WVU's secondary has had its highs and lows, but is coming off one of its better performances against then-No. 25 Virginia. Quarterback Beau Pribula threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Through three games, the Mountaineers’ defense has allowed 246 yards per game.
Defensive coordinator Zac Alley said the secondary showed improvements from Game 1 to Game 3. The secondary improved at being in the right spots, latching onto routes and making open-field tackles. Thomas should only make the secondary even better.
"I'm proud of the improvement they made," Alley said. "We got to keep doing what because they might throw 70 times this game."