There is no dilemma. You take Jayden Thomas all day, every day and you don't look back... Next year you likely lose....
Numbers always work themselves out as long as your take a reasonable number of players. I'm not suggesting you over recruit by 7-8 players, but if you're 5 over the limit in the off season, so be it.
Assuming your losing the following players, or the NCAA will waiver them for a 6th year that won't count against the scholarship limit....
QB: Ian Book
RB: Jafar Armstrong
WR: Avery Davis
WR: Javon Mckinley
WR: Ben Skowronek
TE: Brock Wright
OL: Liam Eichenberg
OL: Aaron Banks
OL: Tommy Kraemer
OL: Robert Hainsey
OL: Dillan Gibbons
DL: Daelin Hayes
DL: Kurt Hinish
DL: Ade Ogundeji
DL: Myron Tagavailoa-Amosa
DL: Kofi Wardlow
LB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
LB: Drew White
CB: Nick McCloud
S: Shaun Crawford
K: Jonathan Doerer
That's 21 players. Some would have been 5th year eligible under normal conditions. Regardless, you can expect to lose 4-5 players to attrition beyond that group, for a variety of reasons.
ND can go as high as about 22 guys, if the right players want in. That said, thr transfer portal is a lucrative market now, therefore, I think you'll see ND save 1 or 2 spots in each class to plug a hole via transfer, especially in instances where they don't have a coveted prospect they'd be leaving on the board.