UVA Football: ‘Hoos land Jayden Thomas, Notre Dame wideout, from the portal

UVA Football coach Tony Elliott completed the back end of a wideout swap with Notre Dame, landing Pace Academy alum Jayden Thomas from the transfer portal on Tuesday.

I put that note in there about where Thomas played his high-school ball for a probably obvious reason – his coach at Pace Academy was Chris Slade, the former Virginia All-American who is on Elliott’s staff at UVA.

Thomas, listed at 6’2”, 218, was a four-star recruit out of high school.

In four seasons with Notre Dame, including limited action as a freshman in 2021, he had 64 catches on 96 targets for 831 yards and seven TDs, splitting his snaps at wide receiver and the slot.

Overview of the WR room

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Virginia lost 6’4”, 220-pound wideout Malachi Fields (55 catches/94 targets, 808 yards, five TDs in 2024) to Notre Dame last month.

We’ll say the Irish won the one-for-one trade and move on.

UVA’s wideout room now includes:

• Cam Ross, most recently of JMU, who had 36 catches on 63 targets for 436 yards and three TDs. Ross will also contribute on special teams: he averaged 29.9 yards on kick returns, with a 94-yard TD, and he was used on the punt-return unit at UConn.
• Jahmal Edrine, late of Purdue, who had 23 catches on 45 targets for 365 yards and two TDs in 2024, and had 39 catches on 69 targets for 570 yards and six TDs at Florida Atlantic in 2022.
• Trell Harris, a speed threat who had 15 catches on 25 targets for 221 yards and two TDs in four games at UVA in 2024.
• The depth chart also has Kam Courtney (12 catches/14 targets, 114 yards, 9.5 yards per catch in 2024) and Suderian Harrison (11 catches/15 targets, 99 yards, 9.0 yards per catch in 2024) competing for playing time.

Area of need: Tight end

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We can still use some help at tight end, which loses Tyler Neville (37 catches/54 targets, 394 yards, 10.6 yards per catch, two TDs in 2024) to end of eligibility.

The only guy back at TE with game experience is converted wideout Dakota Twitty (10 catches/13 targets, 78 yards, one TD in 2024).

Twitty, a former four-star prep recruit, is a big target (6’4”, 239 pounds) with wideout pass-catching skills, so he’s a solid option.

Some depth at that position would be nice, obviously.

ICYMI: UVA Football transfer portal news

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• UVA Football: ‘Hoos land grad transfer from national champ Ohio State to D line
• UVA Football: ‘Hoos land four-star defensive lineman from Alabama
• UVA Football: North Texas QB Chandler Morris commits to Virginia

Video: Latest addition to UVA Football from the transfer portal

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