Greg McElroy addresses impact of Traeshon Holden, Jestin Jacobs transfer commitments to Oregon

The Oregon Ducks have made a statement early regarding transfer portal activity, securing commitments from former Alabama wide receiver Traeshon Holden and former Iowa linebacker Jestin Jacobs. College football analyst Greg McElroy broke down Oregon’s moves on his most recent episode of Always College Football.

“Another couple names that have made decisions, they’re both going to Oregon. Wide receiver Traeshon Holden from Alabama he’s going to be transferring to Oregon, had moments in the last couple years in Tuscaloosa but where you think man, this guy’s about to become an every-down dude,” McElroy said.

Holden was a four-star prospect out of high school, ranked No. 193 nationally and No. 36 out of all receivers in the 2020 class according to On3 Consensus. He played two seasons for the Crimson Tide, hauling in 46 receptions for 570 yards and 7 touchdowns in his career at Alabama, entering the transfer portal as the No. 41 player overall and the No. 15 wide receiver on the market according to the On3 transfer portal rankings.

“But for whatever reason the consistency just wasn’t there,” McElroy said. “But he’s got great hands, he’s got great catch radius, he has good length, maybe not crazy top end speed but is a very reliable pass catcher that’ll be on the perimeter there for whoever the quarterback is in Eugene.”

The Crimson Tide wide receiving core caught some criticism this year for not being quite as elite as that position has been in recent history for Alabama, but Holden will surely provide value to the Ducks’ roster with his skillset and his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame.

“That wasn’t the only guy that they added, they also added Jestin Jacobs who’s a linebacker gonna be transferring there as well,” McElroy added. “So Oregon, going to continue to be a big time player as it relates to the transfer portal.”

Jacobs has made nine career starts for the Hawkeyes in his three seasons with the team. He only recorded stats in two games this season for Iowa, but in his career has made 63 tackles, forced a fumble, and grabbed an interception. Jacobs stands at 6-foot-4, 238 pounds and is currently ranked the No. 196 player overall and the No. 19 linebacker in the transfer portal according to the On3 transfer portal rankings.

It’s clear Dan Lanning is determined to add some pieces from the transfer portal this offseason as he heads into his second season at the helm for the Ducks, and to stay up to date on Oregon’s moves and other program’s, the On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and senior national college football reporter Matt Zenitz’s Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.