Notre Dame WR Jayden Thomas listed questionable/doubtful for Duke game

Some tough news came out of South Bend late this week when On3’s Notre Dame insider, Tyler Horka, reported that second-leading wideout Jayden Thomas is unlikely to play vs. Duke.

Horka tweeted out Thursday morning that Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman shared the update that Thomas is “questionable/doubtful” to miss the game due to a hamstring strain that has kept him off the practice field all week.

Here was that report:

Marcus Freeman says Notre Dame wide receiver Jayden Thomas is "questionable/doubtful" for the Duke game.

Thomas has not practiced this week because of a hamstring strain. pic.twitter.com/ByHqEl5qQd

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) September 28, 2023

Thomas was a starting wideout for Notre Dame and got off a strong start this season, recording four catches each in three of his first four games, with totals of 63 yards vs. Navy, 62 yards vs. Tennessee State and 63 yards vs. Central Michigan. He’s quite the precise target on a per-game basis, huh?

But in his other two games, Thomas failed to make a grab vs. NC State but did haul in one catch for seven yards vs. Ohio State before he was setback with the hamstring issue. Now, it seems likely he could miss at least the Duke game because of it.

Thomas isn’t the only ND wide receiver that’s battered and bruised, as Deion Colzie is also having trouble with a leg injury, which in this case is his knee. Per Freeman, the medical team will conduct arthroscopic surgery on his knee, which will sideline the WR for a few games.

“So he’s gonna get his knee scoped sometime this week,” Freeman told reporters. “It is just preventing him from really performing at the level he believes he should be at. So, we’re going to scope his knee this week. He’ll be out for a couple of weeks.”

Colzie did not play any offensive snaps against Ohio State on Saturday. He last played eight snaps against Central Michigan on Sept. 16. That nearly matched a season-low seven snaps against Navy on Aug. 26. The 6-4 ¼, 210-pounder has three receptions for 45 yards and one touchdown — all of which came in the Navy game — this season.

The Fighting Irish now have to travel to Durham on Saturday to take on a tough Duke team in primetime and with College GameDay in attendance once again — and now, very possibly without their No. 2 receiver on the year.

Notre Dame is still a 5.5-point favorite in the matchup against Duke, according to FanDuel. But the big question is how Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish bounce back from a tough loss that also saw only 10 players on the field for the final two plays.