Coach’s Take: Rivals250 WR Jayden Thomas Fits Notre Dame
One of Notre Dame’s top wide receiver targets in the 2021 class hails from the Peach State.
Atlanta Pace Academy playmaker Jayden Thomas added Notre Dame to his offer list last November while in South Bend for a game-day visit. He has kept in touch with the Irish coaching staff for the past few months, and head coach Brian Kelly even stopped by his high school in January during the contact period.
Rivals ranks Thomas as the No. 20 wide receiver and No. 122 overall prospect in the country. The four-star talent has excellent intangibles that would fit at any college program.
“He’s very coachable,” Pace Academy head coach Chris Slade said. “When your best player is a guy who is the most coachable, everyone else just falls in line and it makes my job much easier. He has no problem taking scout team reps. He’ll do whatever you ask him to do. H’'ll punt if you need him to. I’ll bring him down with my defensive linemen on third-and-long situations and rush the passer.
“He’s not a receiver who only wants to catch footballs and do nothing else. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win and be successful. He’s so coachable and smart. He’s just a natural athlete and is well-respected because he works extremely hard, not only on the field but in the classroom and in the community. He has really embraced the school, the culture and people around here really have a lot of respect for him because they know what he stands for.”
Slade, who played linebacker in the NFL for eight years (1993-2001), believes that Thomas would fit well at Notre Dame. The transition from Pace to Notre Dame wouldn’t be a difficult one at all.
“I’ve been to Notre Dame several times. One of my favorite kids I've ever coached is one the team up there, Mick Assaf,” Slade noted. “Just being up there and seeing how they operate on a daily basis, I think Notre Dame would be a great fit for Jayden. He can do the schoolwork; he understands the rigor. It wouldn't be foreign to him coming from Pace.
“I think from a community and culture standpoint, he could adapt very well. I think he could go to Notre Dame and it'd be an extension of high school, just a little more added to it.”
Thomas announced a top 11 schools list of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech a month ago. Notre Dame was a safe pick to make the cut for him, but Kelly's visit to Pace solidified the Irish in Thomas' mind.
“Kelly coming was big,” Slade added. “It was the first time, to my knowledge, that he’s been to Atlanta since I’ve been at Pace. Him making his presence known was huge. Jayden was already excited about Notre Dame, but I think Kelly coming — the head guy has to show his face with the top recruits.
“[Kelly and I] talked about Jayden and said, ‘This could work.’ Jayden fits in what Notre Dame stands for as an institution. We both felt very comfortable about his fit at Notre Dame. Pace and Notre Dame aren't for every kid. We just do things differently. If you want to get a great education first and play football, then you go to a place like Pace or Notre Dame. They’re very comparable. The students and athletes walk through the same door.”
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