Notre Dame Football

Notre Dame WR Jayden Thomas Quickly Emerging

By Matt Freeman

August 17, 2022

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Chansi Stuckey had work to do when he took the Notre Dame job in January.

Stuckey was immediately tasked with developing a thin and young receiver room on the field, but also changing the mindset of his guys as the Ohio State game was eight months away.

One of those young players Stuckey needed to see growth from was sophomore Jayden Thomas. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder appeared in three games last fall and didn’t record a catch.

Thomas and the other Irish receivers were given a challenge from Stuckey following spring ball and it was met with positive reviews over the weekend.

“Where we were in the spring to see where we are now - guys bought in over the summer,” stated Stuckey. “It takes commitment. We're not with them over the summer. They have to take ownership of what we did in the spring, the drills we give them and do it on their own, so that when we come to camp, they can be better.

"They did that and I was super proud of them. With young men, they don't hear that 'I love you and I'm proud of you' enough. That motivates the heck out of them. We're grown ups and if somebody tells us that, we still feel good, right? If you tell a kid that, then it's like somebody believes in me.”

Stuckey made it clear he believed in Thomas and it might have been enough motivation to carry Thomas through the summer.

“He’s taken that and it's like, 'Maybe I can be great. Let me give this a shot,’” Stuckey said. "A lot of times, we fear working hard. Shoot your shot. He's shooting his shot right now. He's doing a really, really good job."

Thomas has also seen growth, but perhaps more importantly, he sees where he can still go.

"I'd say I've improved my game and there is always room to improve,” explained Thomas. “Coach Stuckey preaches detail to detail, so just focusing on perfecting my craft to the best of my ability has improved my game overall."

Of course, it’s Thomas’ second year in the program, which automatically leads to more confidence and comfort as players know the system and what is expected of them on a daily basis.

"I feel a lot more comfortable,” stated Thomas. “The studying is getting easier from freshman year coming in and having to learn a new playbook. My second go around, I feel I'm light years ahead of where I was."

What makes Thomas an intriguing receiver? Stuckey believes it’s the ability to be quick while being a physical presence.

“He has such good short-area quickness, which you don't find a lot of guys his size,” Stuckey said. “He's thick, but he has really quick feet and a lot of suddenness. He understands how to move and contort his body.”

Thomas agrees as he feels most defenders see him as a big receiver that can be physical, but they don’t expect him to be quick on the finer points of his routes.

“In and out of breaks, I feel like that's where I can separate the most, whether it's a nickel, corner, or linebacker on me,” said Thomas. “I feel that's where I'm agile at."

Notre Dame’s receiver room got thinner over the weekend as Avery Davis was lost for the season, but don’t think Thomas or his teammates are pouting.

"We're a tight group like any other position group at Notre Dame,” stated Thomas. “We're a brotherhood not just as a group, but as a whole team. We come together in times like this.

"One of our brothers went down. Avery would even say we're the most confident group in the whole Gug. We feel like we're at the top in the country, especially with Stuckey here. He's helped improve our mentality. We're dogs now.”

The confidence in the receiver room was much needed and it’s clear the unit has no issues believing they can be one of the best in the country. And it goes back to Stuckey’s expectations for each one of his players.

"The ball we're throwing has the ND logo and that's our logo, so that's our ball,” said Thomas. “I feel like we all have been confident and close together."

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