Oregon is losing a former top 60 recruit.
Receiver Dont’e Thornton, a 6-foot-5, 199-pound sophomore, announced his intention to enter the transfer portal Monday night.
“First off I want to start by saying thank you to coach (Dan) Lanning, (wide receivers) coach (Junior) Adams and the entire University of Oregon coaching staff and family for all the love and support they have provided me over this past football season at Oregon,” Thornton wrote via social media. “I would also like to thank each and every one of my teammates for always pushing me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. Truly after countless hours of think while serious discussions with my family about this, I would like to announce that I am entering the transfer portal.
“I’ll always be a Duck at heart but it’s time for me tot move on to the next chapter of my football career and make sure that I make the right decision for myself. With much love, Dont’e Thornton Jr.”
Thornton had 17 catches for 366 yards and a touchdown and two carries for six yards this season. He had seven catches for 122 yards through the first seven games, with three games without a reception and he didn’t play against Arizona. In the final five games, Thornton had 10 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown.
The Baltimore native had nine catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman, with seven catches for 115 yards coming in the final four games of 2021.
Thornton’s departure leaves Oregon with eight scholarship receivers and two incoming commits in its 2023 recruiting class.
A four-star prospect as a recruit, Thornton was ranked No. 57 overall and No. 7 among receivers in the 2021 recruiting class. He’s the fourth member of that class to leave the program and second since the start of the season, joining offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia (BYU), receiver Seven McGee and offensive lineman Jonah Miller (Santa Rosa JC).
