JaCorey Thomas is Now Eligible to Play for WVU — What Does This Mean for the Secondary?

The Georgia transfer is now able to play for the Mountaineers.

A mouthguard flies through the air after Georgia defensive back JaCorey Thomas (20) hits Ole Miss wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) to the ground during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Ole Miss defeated Georgia 39-34. Thomas was called for targeting and ejected from the game. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wednesday afternoon, a judge in Indiana granted a preliminary injunction to a few football players, including West Virginia defensive back JaCorey Thomas, making him eligible for the 2026 season in what will be his fifth and final year at the collegiate level.

The former Georgia Bulldog's commitment to WVU went public a couple of days after the Mountaineers' season-opening win over Coastal Carolina. He was a traditional four seasons in four years guy, which made his case pretty simple.

To get an idea of what Thomas will bring to the Mountaineers' defense, I reached out to Christian Kirby II of The Film Guy Network, who covered him in Athens for the last three years.

"I think he’s a really solid and reliable safety that typically is asked to cover middle thirds and deep halves in the secondary. He can sometimes get caught with bad eyes and doesn’t have the most elite of ball skills. But he is a really reliable tackler and a good culture add to any team. Run support I would say he’s decent/playable. I’m pretty sure they cross-trained him at the nickel position, but we did not see him get much burn there while he was at Georgia. Overall, he’s a really solid safety that probably won’t make any crazy flash plays but also won’t be a constant liability."

Where could he factor in on the West Virginia defense?

Dec 6, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Jacorey Thomas (20) celebrates a sack during the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2025 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Most of Thomas' snaps came at free safety last year with the Bulldogs. As a matter of fact, 62% of his defensive snaps came at that position. He did see a little action in the slot (50 snaps), but they also use their inside guy very differently than Zac Alley.

With the way Geimere Latimer has played at the nickel, I don't think we'll see a ton of opportunities for him there, but he could be used in an emergency situation at that spot or to give Latimer a spell every now and then.

Free safety seems like the most ideal fit for him, not only because he's played the position, but it will allow true freshman Matt Sieg to develop at his own pace as opposed to having to carve out a significant role on defense. Sieg will still be a factor for sure, but the addition of Thomas gives WVU another veteran option on the back end. And there's also the possibility he can rotate in behind Kamari Wilson to play in the box some.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Thomas is still not listed on the team's official website, but that should change in the very near future. It is unknown at this time if he will suit up for this weekend's game against Oklahoma State.