Oregon Star WR Enters Transfer Portal

Oregon is looking at losing another four-star player to the transfer portal.

On November 28th, four-star Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dont’e Thornton announced that he is entering the transfer portal after this season. This move surprises some as he was poised to get more reps next year while others expected this due to the lack of targets and playing time in Oregon’s scheme.

The 6’5, 199-pound sophomore receiver hauled in 26 catches for 541 yards and 3 touchdowns in two seasons at Oregon. Thornton showed that he could be a playmaker when targeted, whether it was a first down or a touchdown. That potential has drawn multiple schools to look at getting him. With that being said, this article will look at potential schools he could transfer to and how the roster outlook will be.

USC

USC makes the most sense to be the number one landing spot. He is close to Heisman favorite quarterback Caleb Williams, as they both went to schools in the Baltimore-DC area and have worked out together multiple times. The team is also coached by Lincoln Riley, who runs one of the best passing games in the nation, and has his former teammate, Travis Dye. USC will also lose their number one receiver, Jordan Addison, to the draft this offseason but still have sophomore Mario Williams to step up. Caleb Williams also wants Thornton to come to USC with him. Williams and Thornton already have chemistry together and it would be a perfect match for both players. Although this seems like the perfect move on both sides, there could be competition as Texas receiver Xavier Worthy has drawn up transfer portal buzz. There is speculation that Worthy is trying to go to USC but recent rumors are saying that he will most likely stay at Texas. USC is a leading spot but it might come down to which receiver the school wants more.

Florida State

Florida State has shown a lot of interest in landing the transfer wideout. Numerous FSU players have commented and reached out on his post and this move makes sense when you think about it. FSU was in his final six when he was comitting in high school and its closer to home on the east coast. He will also team up with former teammates Mycah Pittman and Trey Benson on the offense. The Seminoles’ quarterback, Jordan Travis, has shown interest in wanting to play with Thornton, and Florida State’s other starting receiver, Ontaria Wilson, just finished his senior season. Thornton would also have better NIL chances here than he would at USC due to Caleb’s popularity. FSU is also a program that has improved over the last few years, as they finished this season on a five game win streak to finish 9-3 ahead of the Cheez-It Bowl against Oklahoma. If Thornton decides to transfer here, we could see Florida State transform into a legit top ten team in the country.

Penn State

Penn State makes a lot of sense looking at it. He committed to the Nittany Lions as a sophomore and then decommitted a year later. One of his friends and high school opponents, Curtis Jacobs, also plays at Penn State and it is also the closest school to Baltimore that he is considering. Thornton would also know the environment from his previous visits and committment. Penn State also has a need for more receivers and we’ve seen the Nittany Lions produce NFL receivers lately with the likes of Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, KJ Hamler, and Jahan Dotson. Thornton could see himself be the next great Penn State receiver at a possibly new and developing WRU, and build his draft stock.

Texas

Texas seems like a long shot but it all depends on one person: Xavier Worthy. Worthy is a rising junior who has drawn buzz of transferring but recently the buzz has cooled down. It is reported that Worthy will most likely stay with the Longhorns, but Thornton could still go there. Texas has a talented quaterback in Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns have gotten better recently. The biggest loss they’ll most likely suffer is losing star runningback Bijan Robinson to the draft. This will probably open up the passing game more and he could complement Worthy on the outside. This would be an ideal offense but Thornton is most likely looking to get targets as a number one option and he would be competing for targets.

Michigan

The Wolverines are the team best positioned to win it all on this list. They stand at 13-0 and won the Big Ten championship while securing the second seed in the playoffs. Michigan’s top three receivers consists of a senior, a grad student, and a junior. Thornton would be in prime position to be a starter, but there’s one catch. Michigan is a run heavy team, especially with Heisman candidate Blake Corum being their lead back. Michigan ranks 89th in passing yards per game and 116th in pass attempts per game. With Corum’s draft status up in the air, this could persuade Thornton to look elsewhere. The Oregon receiver could sacrifice targets for a chance to win but Georgia looks like the clear favorites to win the championship and his stock could fall due to this. He already has two seasons in the books and would need to be somewhere that will throw the ball and play wth someone who will target him if he wants to make it to the NFL.

Tennessee

Tennessee has taken advantage of Alabama’s “rebuild” year as they defeated the Crimson Tide early in the season. The Volunteers were one of the better teams in the nation until they loss to Georgia and South Carolina and missed the playoffs. The two starting receivers are juniors Bru McCoy, a returning redshirt, and Jalin Hyatt, who’s draft status is up in the air. This is a wildcard school, but it looks like a decent destination with redshirt senoir quarterback Hendon Hooker most likely returning next year and could pair up with McCoy. He would also be in the SEC and would have a chance to prove himself among the best defenders in the nation. Hyatt will most likely return next year, so Tennessee is a questionable landing spot, but don’t count them out of the picture.

Miami

Miami has struggled recently but they have a convincing case to land Thornton. His coach his first year at Oregon was Miami’s current coach Mario Cristobal, and Thornton has loyalty to Cristobal. The Hurricanes finished this year with a 5-7 record and are looking to improve in multiple ways. Thornton would be a day one starter and would have great NIL opportunities in Miami. Cristobal recruited him to Oregon, so he would have a coach who believes in him and trust him to make plays on the field. Along with Miami not having a clear cut star, he could provide the spark that the program is looking for. Miami is a somewhat believable landing spot due to his ties to the coach and the opportunities there.