In the modern age, wide receiver talent is so easy to come by that you can often get a contributor on day three of the NFL draft. One of those guys that NFL teams should surely look to add to their franchise come April is Oregon’s own Traeshon Holden. Since arriving at Alabama as a 4-star recruit in 2020, Holden has not only sharpened his skills on the field but matured off it, a transformation he credits to the guidance of head coach Dan Lanning. Speaking to Steelers Depot at the East-West Shrine Bowl, Holden talked about his development as a player and potentially playing for the Steelers.
The illustrious coaching staff at both Alabama and Oregon played a significant role in Holden’s improvement each year on the gridiron.
“It was a great experience, you know. I was there for three years. Learned a lot from Coach Saban, Coach [Holmon] Wiggins, Coach [Steve Sarkisian] and Coach [Bill] O’Brien. Just being around those bunch of great guys, learning a bunch of knowledge of the game and they really helped me through the way for sure.”
Later in our conversation, Holden explained, “I feel like I played for the best two head coaches in college football. Coach Lanning, he helped me in so many different ways, just becoming more mature and as a man, and then Coach Saban, they all from that tree. So, you know, everything that Coach Saban sprinkled down to Coach Lanning, he tossed it to me. So just having that was very special.”
Holden’s face lit up when presented with the idea of playing for another all-time great head coach like Mike Tomlin.
“Talking to my coaches at Oregon, they say that they are interested, but I haven’t had anybody reach out to me from the Steelers. But they have said that they are interested in my game. I always grew up a Troy Polamalu fan, and that’s my favorite player ever, so that would be crazy.”
If Holden were to rep the Black and Gold this upcoming season, fans would see his determination to give his all-out effort regardless of the play call.
“I’m physical. I’m gonna go out and use my run after the catch. You don’t gotta get out 11 personnel. If you need a receiver to block, I’m gonna go out there and block whoever you need me to block. I’m gonna just do my job and I’m dependable.”
Continuing with his after-the-catch ability, we talked about one of my favorite plays from his college career, where he had a 63-yard touchdown against Washington in 2023.
He explained his mindset on plays like that: “It’s crazy how you say that. ‘Cause so that year it was like the starters, it was me, Troy [Franklin], and Tez [Johnson], then just through that and Bo [Nix] was the [quarterback], so his guy was Troy. So I’m just trying to make plays, whatever I can, so I’m talking to our DB coach at the time, and he’s like, ‘Look, you already know what your situation is whenever you get the ball score twice.’ I wasn’t going down for nothing. So whenever I got the ball, I knew I was gonna score. When they called the play, Tez looked at me, shook his head, and I said, let’s do it. Literally, that’s exactly how it went.”
Traeshon Holden is a player with the utmost confidence in his ability to execute whatever task is asked of him. His college career defines overcoming obstacles and showing growth. From winning a national championship as a freshman to facing setbacks after leaving Alabama, Holden eventually rebuilt himself at Oregon, where he delivered the best seasons of his career.
His combination of physicality, versatility, and determination makes him a valuable asset for any NFL team. After hearing his story and witnessing his passion firsthand at the Shrine Bowl, it’s clear that Traeshon Holden isn’t just another wide receiver prospect. He’s a player ready to make an immediate impact at the next level. NFL general managers would be wise to keep a close eye on him this draft season.
