Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson announces he will enter NFL Draft, opt out of Fiesta Bowl
Oregon standout cornerback Khyree Jackson is offically headed for the NFL Draft.
Jackson announced via Instagram on Friday that he will forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, rather than play for Oregon in the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl vs. Liberty.
Jackson transferred to Oregon from Alabama last offseason and proved to be an integral figure for Dan Lanning and Tosh Lupoi’s defense. Jackson earned first-team all-conference honors after recording 34 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and seven pass breakups.
Jackson is the first Oregon player to publicly announce their decision to opt out of the bowl game.
The Ducks’ other starting cornerback, Jahlil Florence, did not travel with the team to Las Vegas for the Dec. 1 Pac-12 title game due to injury. It’s unclear what his timeline for return is.
Veteran corner Trikweze Bridges, who started all 13 games in 2022, entered the transfer portal earlier this month.
More on Oregon’s Fiesta Bowl, transfer portal outlook
Few programs in all of college football experienced a greater amount of transfer portal activity than Oregon did during the 2023 cycle.
A total of 30 Oregon scholarship players entered the portal during the previous two transfer windows — 21 in the winter and nine in the spring. Meanwhile, the Ducks added 14 scholarship players during that same period.
Many of their portal additions — including receiver Tez Johnson, cornerback Khyree Jackson, safety Evan Williams, and right tackle Ajani Cornelius — locked down starting jobs and played key roles during the 2023 season.
This offseason, Oregon will once again look for opportunities to improve its roster by way of the portal.
While speaking with reporters during a Fiesta Bowl media availability on Dec. 3, Oregon coach Dan Lanning was asked which players he expects to enter the portal during the offseason.
“There will certainly be some announcements. I think that’s going to exist on every single team,” Lanning said. “I’ve talked to those guys individually. On the same note, that’s their opportunity to be able to announce that. So I think you’ll see some guys that aren’t with us anymore. And they’ve been phenomenal here for the Ducks, and wishing them nothing but the best. But out of respect for them, I’m going to give them the opportunity to make that announcement.”
Track transfer portal activity
While the NCAA transfer portal database is private, the On3 Network has streamlined the reporting process tracking player movement.
If you find yourself asking, ‘How can I track transfer portal activity?’ our well-established network of reporters and contacts across college athletics keeps you up to speed in several ways, from articles written about players as they enter and exit the transfer portal or find their new destination, to our social media channels, to the On3 Transfer Portal.
The transfer portal wire provides a real-time feed of player activity, including basic player profile information, transfer portal ranking and original On3 Industry recruiting ranking, as well as NIL valuation (name, image and likeness).
The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
