CFB Zeitgeist Score
2
Below cohort in the position cohort. Carried by rec tds at the 7th percentile.
Jayden Thomas
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
9 REC YDS · 3 REC · 0 REC TD
2026 Outlook
Returning to Virginia for 2026
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Wide receiver · Virginia
Returning around him
- 28% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: +8 net (30 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Virginia · Last season: 11-3 (AP #20) · Talent rank #62 · 2026 recruiting class #58
WR · VIRGINIA · ACC
Jayden Thomas
- 4
- #8
- 6-2 | 220 lb
- Paulding County, GA
Heisman Heat
#1680
<1% win probability
Fan Belief
Awaiting
Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.
Respect Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
Reality Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
ACCOLADE PROBABILITY
Heisman
<1%
TOP WR AWARD
Biletnikoff
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR03 · Backup
Backup. On the two-deep, pushing for snaps.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Development Trajectory · receiving yards
2022–2025-98%
Sharp dropoff (-98%) — career inflection point.
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4-star | 0.8991 | No. 326 recruit | HighSchool | Notre Dame |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame -> Virginia | 3-star | 0.8600 | Immediate |
Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final
Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.
HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16Heisman Futures
Not yet listed on major futures markets.
No achievements unlocked yet this season.
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Selector recognition fills in once the major honors lists (AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, SI) are scraped and ingested.
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★★☆
to Notre Dame
Composite
0.8991
#326 national
Today’s Hot-Take
The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.
Anti-Take
PENDINGThe contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.
The Room on Jayden Thomas
Fan sentiment ·
Belief Meter
75
Grounded Optimism
Top Take
“”
Trajectory
Per-cohort trajectory lands when historical bucket data is aggregated.
Cohort divergence map
- Own fans · n=2
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Jayden Thomas
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
Signature Story
Awaiting candidate metric
He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.
Signature Moment
No signature moment on the ledger yet.
Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the receiving totals stand
Through 3g
9Rec yards
3Receptions
0Rec TDs
Per game
3Rec yards
1Receptions
0Rec TDs
Projected (13g)
39Rec yards
13Receptions
0Rec TDs
To hit 700-yard receiver (currently 9): needs 69.1/game over remaining 10.
To hit 1,000-yard receiver (currently 9): needs 99.1/game over remaining 10.
To hit 60-catch season (currently 3): needs 5.7/game over remaining 10.
To hit 80-catch season (currently 3): needs 7.7/game over remaining 10.
To hit 8 receiving TDs (currently 0): needs 0.8/game over remaining 10.
To hit 10 receiving TDs (currently 0): needs 1/game over remaining 10.
What made this player interesting
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Jayden Thomas's story is about how role and output meet each other. For Virginia, the card already shows enough current-season production to explain why he is on the serious-player board, and the next layer is determining whether the profile is just very good or actually distinctive.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
WR season snapshot
2025 season snapshot | final
2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
Receiving weapon against FBS receiving peers.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Receiving
REC
3 27th
YDS
9 9th
YPR
3.0 3rd
TD
0 45th
Returns
PR YDS
58 57th
PR AVG
14.5 87th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 4 | W 48-20vs Stanford | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Wk 8 | W 22-20vs Washington State | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 17-16@ North Carolina | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | Season-high 6 yds |
| Total | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2021Georgia Tech3-9HC: Geoff Collins · Run-leaning
2022Notre Dame9-4HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-heavy
2023Notre Dame10-3HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Virginia11-3HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 21 | 310 | 14.8 | 2 | -- |
| 2022 | Notre Dame | 25 | 362 | 14.5 | 3 | -- |
| 2021 | Georgia Tech | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 49 | 681 | 13.9 | 5 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | 58 | -- |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 1 | 10 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Notre Dame | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Georgia Tech | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 4 loaded seasons | 2 | 10 | -- | 58 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
The player's share of a team's passing-game involvement. It is the fastest way to see whether the receiver is a true focal point or more of a complementary piece.
A blended workload view that accounts for catches, designed touches, and any return-game involvement that shapes the overall profile.
Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.
The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Receptions | 3 | #811/1110 | 27th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving yards | 9 | #1005/1107 | 9th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving TD | 0 | #615/1111 | 45th pct | Scoringvs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Yards / catch | 3.0 | #1075/1106 | 3rd pct | Efficiencyvs FBS WR |
| Returns | Punt return yards | 58 | #97/224 | 57th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Usage | Pass share | 5.2% | #849/1137 | 25th pct | Air-game usagevs FBS WR |
| Receiving | Receiving LONG | 6 | #1033/1105 | 7th pct | Metricvs FBS WR |
| Returns | Punt return avg | 14.5 | #29/222 | 87th pct | Efficiencyvs FBS WR |
| Returns | Punt returns | 4 | #129/237 | 46th pct | Volumevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 3rd-down usage | 3.6% | #764/1137 | 33rd pct | Money-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Passing-down usage | 2.8% | #925/1137 | 19th pct | Known-passing sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 2nd-down usage | 2.4% | #871/1137 | 23rd pct | Middle-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Role share | 2.3% | #900/1137 | 21st pct | Share of team offensevs FBS WR |
| Usage | Standard-down usage | 2.1% | #857/1137 | 25th pct | Base-situation sharevs FBS WR |
| Usage | 1st-down usage | 0.0% | #1017/1137 | 11th pct | Early-down loadvs FBS WR |
| Usage | Rush share | 0.0% | #391/1137 | 66th pct | Ground-game usagevs FBS WR |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION · Rung None of 16
Why he’s here
Standing classification populates when honors, Heisman, and roster signals all align.
What moves him up
What moves him down
Accolade streams
Status—Awaiting tracker
Heisman model tracks the top FBS contenders weekly; this player hasn't entered the watch list yet.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 |
Win vs Loss
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins3g | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-71g | 1.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.0 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
2Below cohort
Concern: long catch (0th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · WR · 2024
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
Advanced Savant
Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.
Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Jayden ThomasVirginiaMichael Jackson IIIPurdue· 47% simJacquon GibsonMassachusetts· 41% simAaron TurnerRice· 39% sim
Rec TDs
Yards / catch
Rec yards
Receptions
Long catch
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tony Elliott
Pass share
48.0%
492 pass / 534 run
Plays / game
73.3
14 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
5.0%
337 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
2 coaches2021
Bronco Mendenhall
Virginia
2022era →
Tony Elliott
Virginia
2023
Tony Elliott
Virginia
2025
Tony Elliott
Virginia
Coaching transition mid-career: Bronco Mendenhall → Tony Elliott. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownPaulding County, GA
Height6'2"
Weight220 lb
Class4
PositionWR
Jersey8
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamVirginia
ConferenceACC
Joined2025
Career arc5 season(s)
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
No formal honors on the ledger yet
All-America, all-conference, player-of-the-week, watch-list, and postseason awards land here when they're earned. The absence is the signal: most players never collect formal honors, and that's its own kind of context.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No formal honors on the ledger yet. All-America, all-conference, weekly awards, watch lists, and postseason trophies land here when they’re earned. | ||||
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Notre Dame | WR4 | #1680 | #1371 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | FBS Independents |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | WR4 | #510 | #439 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | FBS Independents |
| 2022 | Notre Dame | WR4 | #513 | #505 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | FBS Independents |
| 2021 | Georgia Tech | WR4 | #3460 | #3380 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | ACC |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia | ACC | WR | 4 | No. 8 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Paulding County, GA |
| 2024 | Notre Dame | FBS Independents | WR | 4 | No. 8 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Paulding County, GA |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | FBS Independents | WR | 4 | No. 8 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Paulding County, GA |
| 2022 | Notre Dame | FBS Independents | WR | 4 | No. 8 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Paulding County, GA |
| 2021 | Georgia Tech | ACC | WR | 4 | No. 8 | 6-2 | 220 lb | Paulding County, GA |