The highest-ranked member of Notre Dame’s 2020 class is in the transfer portal.
Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Johnson, a former five-star recruit, announced Monday morning he will explore his transfer options.
"I am looking for a fresh start and look forward to seeing what is next for me," Johnson wrote at the conclusion of his social media statement.
Johnson’s departure comes two days after Notre Dame ended spring football practices, which culminated in Saturday’s Blue-Gold Game. He had been working mostly with the second-team offense in spring drills. In the spring scrimmage, he was a starter for the Blue team and was targeted once, with no catches. He was held out of a few practices toward the end of spring.
“Jordan Johnson is getting better, there’s no doubt,” Kelly said on April 17. “He has to continue to get better with the little things. He has missed a couple practices. We have to get him back in the flow of things.”
The 2021 wide receiver picture, meanwhile, had centered on seniors Avery Davis, Joe Wilkins Jr., Lawrence Keys III and Braden Lenzy. They had been taking most of the first-team work this spring. Kelly had identified them as key factors in the passing game’s development. Fellow senior Kevin Austin Jr., who did not play this spring, is also expected to earn every chance to start when he returns this summer.
Thee 6-2, 195-pound Johnson’s one season with the program was a bumpy one. He played in two games in 2020, totaling 26 snaps. He did not catch a pass. A 2020 receiver room that lost most of its 2019 production created openings for new contributors, but Johnson didn’t find himself in competition for a weekly role.
Whenever Kelly was asked about Johnson last season, he often noted the college and academic workload adjustment as hurdles Johnson needed to clear.
“We knew Jordan’s ability,” Kelly said in late October. “There are other things that are important here at the university, and we all know that. He has been focused heavily on making the transition. The things that are really difficult are in the classroom.”
Johnson, Rivals’ No. 28 player in his class, arrived on campus in June 2020. He initially committed to Notre Dame in April 2019 and picked the Irish from a list of more than 25 offers.
Johnson is the ninth Notre Dame player to enter the transfer portal since the 2020 season ended. One of those, senior safety Houston Griffith, chose to return to the program.
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