Notre Dame’s offense went through a transition period over the last eight months as players arrived and departed South Bend.
Junior receiver Jayden Thomas also made moves, but those were on the field during the spring as the Georgia native built on last fall’s 25 receptions for 361 yards and three touchdowns.
The 6-foot-1, 221-pounder maintained the momentum he built dating back to last season in fall camp and Thomas looks to prove he’s ready to be the featured receiver in Notre Dame’s 2023 offense.
“You want to be that guy who everybody feels comfortable with to make the big plays at the end of the game,” stated Thomas. “But also I want to be that leader for our room. This is the most talented I’ve ever felt like this room has been.
“It’s the most talented wide receivers I’ve ever played with in my life - that will to compete against each other and also bring out the best in each other. That’s what I’ve really focused on.”
There is little doubt Chansi Stuckey has upgraded the talent in the room through development and recruiting, but youth defines the room. It’s has become clear Notre Dame will play at least two true freshmen in Rico Flores Jr. and Jaden Greathouse, while senior Chris Tyree is in his first year at the position.
Thomas (16 games), Deion Colzie (23 games) and Matt Salerno (36 games) bring the experience in the room. Yet, the experience is limited as Colzie’s role was small despite playing in 11 games as a freshman while Salerno served as the punt returner for most of his appearances.
Despite the lack of experience, it seems the Notre Dame room is as close as ever.
“It’s a lot of competition,” Thomas explained. “That’s because we push the younger guys. They push us. It’s really close. It’s probably the closest that we’ve ever felt in this room since I’ve been on the team because I’m in this middle role of not really too old, not really too young.
“I can relate to the older guys and also the younger guys. It’s kind of cool to talk to the younger guys and tell them what to expect. They ask me questions. They’re not afraid. I’m not afraid to ask them. And then vice versa with Matt and CT.”
The receivers get credit for embracing and pushing each other every day, but Stuckey has found the right mixture of personalities to allow that to take place.
“It’s Coach Stuckey’s culture,” Thomas said of why the room is close. “It’s Notre Dame’s culture. It’s the will of who we are as receivers, who we want to be. We want to ultimately compete against each other to make each other better. I definitely think that’s a mixture of all of it.”
Sam Hartman’s arrival was another relationship Thomas and the receivers had to cultivate. Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner left the program, so building a rapport with Hartman took priority over just about everything, especially since Buchner’s departure following spring ball.
Chemistry with a new quarterback doesn’t happen overnight and it’s something Notre Dame’s offense has needed to be patient with, but the willingness of Hartman to listen to his receivers has allowed the process to be expedited.
“It’s definitely having the conversations, sometimes the conversations you don’t want to have,” stated Thomas. “’Hey, can you run this route this way? Or I don’t like that route. Could you change it up? Or maybe could I get this ball?’”
Hartman and Thomas connected well in the spring game, but the sixth-year quarterback has also seen the entire receiver group take significant steps forward.
“I think everybody on this roster can play,” explained Hartman. “That’s the thing about being at Notre Dame. I think it’s more reps and more reps. Only the season will tell. Everybody can look good in practice. But I know himself and the entire receiver room can all play at this level. It’s just going to be how far we can take it.”
In 2022, Hartman threw 93 passes over 20 yards, while Buchner and Pyne combined for just 51 throws at the same distance.
The next step for Notre Dame’s offense will be connecting on the deep ball, which is something that was not as consistent as the coaching staff would have liked. Thomas knows it comes down to executing the small details and trusting in Stuckey’s coaching.
“Honing into the details,” Thomas said of how it can improve. “Whether I need to get more vertical against the defender, what type of defender it is, if he’s handsy, if he’s lengthy. Little stuff like that to focus on.”
And despite some of the inconsistent play, Thomas isn’t overly worried as the confidence to make big plays is there.
“I definitely think we’re going to be able to blow the top off of some defenses,” Thomas stated. “We’re going to score touchdowns. We have a capable quarterback in Sam who has proven to do that at his previous school.”
Notre Dame’s defense has also played a significant role in limiting big plays and the daily competition has been embraced by everyone.
Thomas routinely finds himself matched up against Cam Hart and the intensity is only making the team better.
“We love it,” We get to against, I honestly think, one of the best top five secondaries in the country. With B-Mo (Benjamin Morrison), Xavier Watts, Cam Hart and all those guys back there. It’s pretty fun. It’s challenging. We love to embrace the grind. Iron sharpening iron at the end of the day is what we’re doing.
“The ability to compete at the highest level against guys that are probably going to be in the NFL one day, it’s really fun and we love the challenge.”
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