Players often transfer to a school because they want a clean break from their former program.

Reasons vary. It could be playing time, over NIL, or simply because they don’t feel they fit the system.

However, in the case of wide receiver Noah Thomas, one of the biggest reasons he came to Georgia from Texas A&M was to reunite with a coach who meant so much to him.

“Coach (James) Coley used to coach me at Texas A&M,” Thomas said. “I’ve got a great relationship with him. He’s a great dude, real genuine.”

Thomas said his relationship with Coley and the desire to continue learning under him is why he’s in Athens today.

“He's real. He's not gonna tell you a lie or anything that you want to hear. He gonna tell you the truth. He kept it real with me ever since I first met him, and still does to this day, so he's a great dude,” Thomas said. “Shout out to Coach Coley.”

With spring practice set to wrap up with Saturday’s G-Day game, Bulldog fans can see for themselves what Georgia is getting.

At 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds, Thomas has reportedly picked up Georgia’s offensive system well. He led the Aggies in receptions last year with 39 catches for 574 yards and eight touchdowns.

Cornerback Daniel Harris has seen plenty of Thomas this spring and likes what he sees.

“He bring a lot. We go at him in practice. It's back and forth,” Harris said. “I feel like he's a good wideout, but we go back and forth. It’s always competition.”

Thomas would not have it any other way.

According to the Texas native, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo told him to “Come be great.”

That’s exactly what Thomas intends to do.

Along with Zachariah Branch, plus returnees like Dillon Bell, London Humphreys, and others, Thomas plans to make a significant impact.

From the sounds of it, Thomas has the Kirby Smart lingo down.

“I believe pressure is a privilege,” Thomas said. “God put me in this position to be here, and I walk with a lot of faith over fear. I'm ready for any challenges, any adversity that comes my way … I'm going to take the head off.”

The opportunity to make that happen at a school like Georgia was something he simply could not pass up.

“Yeah, no knock on A&M, just wanted something different. Leaving is definitely … you’ve gotta mature … different state. It’s my first time really living out of state for me, so that was a change as well,” Thomas said. “But yeah, man, I really see Georgia on the big stage all the time. Y'all see it every time, every year. Coach Kirby Smart is a great coach all around. He’s going to coach you hard, and that's what all players should want. You should want to be coached hard so you can get better and better every day.”

When recently asked about Thomas and Branch, Smart said both receivers have made quite the early impression.

"I'm excited about both those guys. Both are really good players. Both have been successful in the organizations where they've been Texas A&M),” Smart said. “They're both talented pass catchers, which seems to be the largest turnover position there is. Outside of quarterback, that's the position that has the most transfers. Receiver is probably next. Both of those guys are not only high-caliber athletes, but they're high-caliber people, and I've enjoyed working with them. There's a culture and work ethic that's required to be successful here, and they've jumped right in and done a great job of that."

Thomas said he and Branch have quickly formed a close bond.

Being both are new players with high expectations, Thomas said he and the former Southern Cal wideout made a pact to do whatever possible to make the impact their new team is expecting.

“Yeah, man, Zach is my dawg. As soon as we got here, it was straight work. Every chance we got that we were just chilling on the weekends, we’ve been at the facility, putting in extra work,” Thomas said. “I love how he works, man; he made me more, he influenced me to work more. He's a baller, too. I’m learning different releases, different stems, different stuff like that. We help each other out … learning the playbook as well.”

He's also enjoyed being a mentor to Georgia’s younger receivers like Talyn Taylor and C.J. Wiley.

“I love how every single one of them came in with their head down, ready to work, not letting the stars and all that get to them,” Thomas said. “I talk to Talyn every day. Talyn just really opens his ears, allows others to talk to him, and stuff like that. C.J. Wiley is the same; all of them really, I like how they came in just ready to work, not thinking they're too good, not carrying that ego with them, and just ready to learn new things, being open-minded, and having that growth mindset.”