By Brad Crawford | 247Sports.com | February 18, 2023
Former Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden will not be charged after his arrest this week after allegedly pulling a gun on someone after the Lane County (Ore.) District Attorney's Office reviewed body cam and video surveillance, as The Oregonian reported. Holden, who entered the transfer portal at Alabama in November and was a key member of Oregon's 2023 transfer haul, was dismissed from the team Wednesday after he faced three charges — menacing, unlawful use of a weapon, and coercion.
Jacob Houze, Holden's lawyer, said in a statement Friday that his client did nothing wrong.
"The Lane County District Attorney's thorough review of the evidence has confirmed that," Houze told KEZI ABC 9. "Now that he has been exonerated, he deserves to have his good name back."
It is not yet known if Oregon will allow Holden to return to the football team.
“We are aware of the incident involving Traeshon Holden, and he has been dismissed from our team,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said in a statement through the university after the news of the arrest surfaced. “We have high standards for the student-athletes, coaches, and staff in our football program, and we are disappointed when these standards are not met. We will continue to hold everyone in our program accountable for meeting our expectations.”
According to Duck Territory, Oregon signed Holden because it desperately needed more bodies at wide receiver ahead of the 2023 season. Senior Chase Cota finished third on the team in receptions with 33 while also finishing third in receiving yards at 455. Cota will graduate after the Holiday Bowl. Sophomore wide receiver Dont'e Thornton left the team for the transfer portal after the regular season, and he finished the year fourth on the team in receiving yards with 366 on 17 receptions. Sophomore Seven McGee left the team during the middle of the season.
Holden played in 10 games this fall and started the first five games of the 2022 season. He has caught 25 passes for 331 yards and six touchdowns, which is tied with Jermaine Burton for the second-most receiving scores on the team. A junior, Holden has 46 career receptions for 570 yards and seven touchdowns after appearing in 24 games over the last two years.
"He is a guy there's never been a weakness," Josh Pate said of Holden last August on 247Sports' Late Kick. "It's never anything like that. It's just sometimes you've got to wait your turn when you're in Alabama and if you don't immediately (pop) as a true freshman, folks can forget about you."
A four-star recruit in Alabama's 2020 signing class, Holden was the No. 235 overall recruit and No. 42 wide receiver that cycle, according to 247Sports. One of three wideouts that signed with the Crimson Tide Tide that year, he was the second receiver from that class to transfer, joining Javon Baker, who plays for UCF. Only Thaiu Jones-Bells remains on the Alabama roster.
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"We feel like we have a couple young guys that will develop into guys that will play," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban in February 2020 when Holden signed. "But we also feel really good about the guys we got. We've had other guys play at that position as freshmen. If those guys can develop quick enough, maybe they can contribute next year, as well."
