Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame Football Loses Two Veteran WRs to Transfer Portal

Two Notre Dame graduate wide receivers became the second and third players to enter the transfer portal on Wednesday

Nick Shepkowski

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Jayden Thomas (83) runs the ball in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.
Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Jayden Thomas (83) runs the ball in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Notre Dame has lost two more players as exits to the transfer portal, this time with the losses coming in the wide receiver room.

Graduates Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie both announced on Wednesday that they are entering the transfer portal and will continue their college football careers elsewhere.

Neither of the two put up massive numbers at Notre Dame, but were important role players who without, perhaps the Fighting Irish don't make their run all the way to Atlanta for the national championship.

Notre Dame's Jayden Thomas Enters Transfer Portal

Thomas enters the transfer portal after spending four seasons at Notre Dame. He redshirted his freshman year of 2021 before jumping into a significant role in '22 at wide receiver. He recorded what would be his career-high at Notre Dame that year in receptions, yards, and touchdowns (25, 361, 3).

Thomas wound up hauling in 64 receptions for 838 yards and seven touchdowns in his time in blue and gold.

Notre Dame's Deion Colzie Enters Transfer Portal

Notre Dame wide receiver Deion Colzie in practice before the 2023 Sun Bow
Notre Dame's Deion Colzie makes a one handed catch during practice at the SAC on Dec. 26, 2023, as they prepare for the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Oregon State. / Alberto Silva Fernandez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

First and foremost I give all honor, praise, and glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s because of His grace and mercy that I am who I am today.

Thank you to my family who has supported and prayed for me throughout this entire journey.

Thank you to the entire Notre Dame family and all who have supported me during this journey. This has been an experience of a lifetime and I am grateful for the brotherhood that has been forged through this process. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s allowed me to learn more about who I am and who I aspire to be.

I am especially grateful to Coach Freeman, Coach Brown, and all who have poured into my life to this point, and I will never forget the lessons I have learned. To my brothers in arms, THANK YOU for believing in me. It has been an honor to work side by side with each of you and I have cherished every moment.

I have given my all to the University of Notre Dame and it’s now time for me to enter the next phase of my journey. I am officially entering the transfer portal as a graduate.

Love Thee,
Deion Colzie

Colzie finishes his Notre Dame career with 21 receptions for 345 yards and three touchdowns. He will also have one year of eligibility remaining.

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Nick Shepkowski
NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.

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