Notre Dame’s lack of depth at wide receiver is well documented. All even the least informed fan had to do understand this was to watch the [autotag]Fiesta Bowl[/autotag] when just three scholarship receivers were targeted while quarterback Jack Coan threw 68 passes.
One of those three is gone to the NFL as [autotag]Kevin Austin[/autotag], Jr. had 105 receiving yards that game and led Notre Dame in receiving yardage for the year. Former walk-on returner [autotag]Matt Salerno[/autotag] received a scholarship this off-season but Notre Dame’s outlook at receiver still lacks any sort of depth whatsoever.
It just so happens a graduate student who received all Big Ten honors a year ago entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, and that player is from just outside Chicago.
[autotag]Charlie Jones[/autotag] began his collegiate career at Buffalo where he hauled in 18 receptions for 395 yards (21.9 ypr) and three touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2018. He then transferred to Iowa where he played the last two seasons, hauling in 21 receptions for 323 yards (15.4 ypr) and three more scores last season.
Jones was also Iowa’s primary returner on both punts (7.7 ypr) and kickoffs (25.4 ypr) last season and was named the Big Ten’s Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year.
Jones attended Deerfield High School in Illinois, located just north of Chicago.
Iowa wide receiver and return specialist Charlie Jones has entered the transfer portal, @on3sports has learned.
Was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a returner. Also posted 21 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns.https://t.co/xWsWSZF8sP
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) May 25, 2022
One would assume that [autotag]Chasni Stuckey[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag], and the rest of the Notre Dame staff are already reaching out to try and patchwork some of the receiver issues ahead of the 2022 season.
To my understanding this Charlie Jones is in no way related to the Charlie Jones whose golden pipes played at least a small part in me becoming a Notre Dame fan at a young age.
[listicle id=44003]