On paper, no true star receiver for Notre Dame in 2020 would indicate that the position is up for grabs. However, Irish receiver Jay Brunelle saw the writing on the wall for his opportunities in South Bend. After not seeing any game action as a freshman last season, Brunelle has decided he has a better chance of flourishing elsewhere. That being the case, he did the only thing he could do:
2020 3-star WR Jay Brunelle has officially entered the transfer portal; he did not see the field during his true freshman season at Notre Dame @rivalsmike @Rivals_Singer @BGInews https://t.co/L6oPebrubO
— NCAA Transfer Portal (@RivalsPortal) June 9, 2021
Brunelle, a native of Paxton, Massachusetts, came to the Irish as a three-star recruit out of St. John’s. As a senior, he had 52 receptions for 1,071 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. No player in the history of Central Massachusetts has had more receiver yards than him at 2,666.
As a recruit, Brunelle fielded offers from such programs as Michigan, Boston College, Wake Forest, Rutgers, UCLA, West Virginia and UMass. We obviously don’t know if he’ll consider any of those schools this time around, but his previous communication with them can’t hurt.