Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman updates WR Jayden Thomas' injury status ahead of Duke game
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman updated the status of starting wide receiver Jayden Thomas during his Thursday news conference. The 6-1 ½, 221-pounder is questionable/doubtful against Duke on Saturday with a hamstring injury.
Thomas sustained the injury while blocking on a run for sophomore running back Jadarian Price in the third quarter against Ohio State on Saturday. The No. 11 Irish fell to No. 4 Ohio State, 17-14, at Notre Dame Stadium. Thomas had a 7-yard catch against Ohio State. He only played 30 of 65 offensive snaps.
He did not return to the game after coming off the field following the Price run play. Freeman said Thomas has not been able to practice this week.
His 30 snaps against the Buckeyes matched a season-low from Notre Dame’s 56-3 victory over Tennessee State on Sept. 2. Thomas leads the team with 13 receptions on the season. He’s added 195 yards and a touchdown on those catches.
Thomas, a product of Atlanta Pace Academy, broke out for the Irish last season. He finished his true sophomore campaign with 25 catches for 361 yards (14.4 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. Through the first five games in 2022, Thomas had six catches for 106 yards and one score.
The news comes three days after Freeman announced fellow junior wide receiver Deion Colzie would miss a few weeks following a knee scope. 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.
Following the Tennessee State game, Freeman revealed graduate student wide receiver Matt Salerno suffered a leg injury.
Salerno played only seven snaps against Tennessee State. He played 11 in Week 0 against Navy, catching one pass for nine yards from graduate quarterback Sam Hartman. Salerno also returned two punts in Week 1 against Tennessee State, totaling 21 yards.
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If Thomas were to play, Notre Dame should have five scholarship wide receivers available Saturday against Duke: Chris Tyree, Tobias Merriweather, Rico Flores Jr., Jaden Greathouse and Braylon James. They have combined for 37 receptions, 667 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.
Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon eyes a Week 6 return
The Irish could soon be getting a boost at the tight end position. Freeman told reporters sophomore tight end Eli Raridon is inching toward a return from his torn ACL sustained about 11 months ago.
“Eli is practicing with us now,” Freeman said. “And really gaining confidence that he needs to be ready to go. We have plans for him, as long as there are no setbacks. He’ll be ready to roll the next week.
“It was good for him — this week was about trying to get in football shape. It’s a lot easier said than done when you haven’t really taken meaningful reps throughout the first couple of weeks of the season.
“He really has done a good job this week of getting that wind that it takes to sustain the things we ask him to do as a tight end. He’s trending really in the right direction.”
Raridon appeared in five games last season before enduring the non-contact injury during practice. That was his second torn ACL in his right knee.
Saturday’s game against the No. 17 Duke Blue Devils (4-0) kicks off at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
