Jestin Jacobs Joins Oregon's Defense at the Perfect Time

The linebacker transfer from Iowa made his long-awaited debut against Washington State.

Oregon's linebacker corps needed some work this offseason. Especially after losing Noah Sewell to the NFL Draft, Dan Lanning knew that he needed to inject some talent into that room.

One of the ways he did that was by bringing in players from the transfer portal. And former Iowa standout Jestin Jacobs was one of the headliners in Oregon's portal haul.

After battling his way back from injury, the linebacker made his debut against Washington State and finished third on the team in tackles with six. 

"It felt great. Growing up being a huge Oregon fan, finally being out there with my brothers after all this time," Jacobs said of his debut. "It felt great running out there with Jeff (Bassa), Scoob (Jamal Hill), whoever I was out there with all 11. It just felt great to be back."

Oregon Ducks linebacker Jestin Jacobs makes a defensive call against the Washington State Cougars.  :: Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

He was one of six players to record a sack against the Cougars, and even came up with a big run stop on third down, showing that he's plenty capable of impacting Oregon's defense in 2023. 

The seasoned veteran revealed that it was his foot that was hindering his return to the field, but now he's good to go.

"I feel great now. I feel like I can fly around," the 6-foot-4, 245-pound linebacker said. "Like I said before I feel like the training staff, weight staff did a tremendous job helping me get back. All credit to them."

Dan Lanning liked what he saw from Jacobs against the Cougars and knows he'll be an asset to the defense.

"He's a good player," the head coach said on Monday. "He's really physical. He's a hard person to block. He's really talented in the box. Just having him back with our team for a guy that's worked so hard to put himself in position to be back, it was great to have him out there. Certainly makes us better when we're able to utilize him."

For the Ducks, Jacobs' arrival couldn't come at a better time. Over the next month they'll have some of their toughest games of the year going against Utah, USC and Oregon State to round out the regular season. 

Jeffrey Bassa, Jamal Hill, Bryce Boettcher and Devon Jackson have all rotated at inside linebacker this season, but Jacobs gives the Ducks some much-needed experience, size and athleticism at the position. 

He also also helps bolster Oregon's depth, which has been a calling card for Tosh Lupoi and Dan Lanning's defense this year as they continue their improvement from 2022 to 2023.

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