Jayden Thomas transfer portal: Exploring the Top 3 landing spots for Notre WR

Jayden Thomas has entered the transfer portal after four seasons with the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He announced on Wednesday his intentions to play elsewhere for his final year of eligibility in college football via X (formerly Twitter). He thanked the program and the fanbase. Thomas also shared that he accomplished all he wanted in Notre Dame.

"I have accomplished all that I have set out to do here at Notre Dame and feel that I have made a positive impact and left my mark on this program. After much thought and prayer I have made the decision to enter my name into the transfer portal as a graduate. Love thee Forever, JT Joshua 1:9," Thomas posted.

Thomas was available for every matchup this season, but struggled to get opportunities to contribute. Throughout his final year with Notre Dame (14-2), he never had more than three receptions in a game. He finished with 18 receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

His last game was the Fighting Irish win against No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (13-3) in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9. He didn't get a reception, but had one carry for 18 yards.

Notre Dame are coming off a 34-23 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday. The roster is expected to undergo changes with players expected to declare for the 2025 NFL draft or transfer out of the program.

Thomas will look to find a new team that will give him more opportunities to contribute on offense before he finishes his college football career.

Here are three teams that could be his best landing spots.

Top 3 landing spots for the Notre Dame WR Jayden Thomas

#3, UL Monroe

One of the teams that could be interested in Jayden Thomas is the UL Monroe Warhawks (5-7). The team struggled this season and finished as the third worst team in the Sun Belt West Conference. UL Monroe offense had the fourth fewest receiving yards in the league with 1,617 yards.

The leading receiving leader on the team was Jake Godfrey, who transferred from the New Mexico Lobos in 2023. In his sophmore year, Godfrey ended the season with 24 receptions for 265 yards and two touchdowns.

The Warhawks could try to sign the former Fighting Irish player to work alongside Godfrey to improve their offense.

#2, Iowa

The Iowa Hawkeyes (8-5) suffered a setback this season after winning 10 games in the previous season. Iowa could look to add another experienced wide receiver to boost their offense. The team finished seventh in fewest receiving yards with 1,711 yards in the league and second worst in the Big Ten.

The Hawkeyes will have wide receiver Jacob Gill returning for his final year in college football next season. He led the team in receiving yards with 35 receptions for 411 yards and 2 touchdowns. Iowa's second best wide receiver was Reece Vander Zee who had 14 receptions for 176 yards and three touchdowns.

Gill has seemingly secured his position as the primary receiving option. However, Thomas could join the team and compete in the offseason to get more playing time against other wide receivers like Vander Zee.

#1, Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines were able to finish their season strong and could compete for the top spot in the Big Ten. Their last game was a 19-13 victory over then No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-4) in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31. They could decide to sign Thomas to improve their chances next year.

The team finished the season sixth in the league in fewest receiving yards with 1,678 yards. Michigan best receiving target was tight end Colston Loveland, who had 56 receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns.

Michigan has already looked to add new wide receivers from the transfer portal with commitments from Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson. However, they may look to also acquire Thomas, who could immediately help the team's offense.