What are the Sooners getting in Jaydn Ott?
What are the Sooners getting in Jaydn Ott?
On Tuesday evening, Jim Nagy showed the college football world why his addition to the Oklahoma football program was so invaluable.
Not only did the Sooners go out and nab the top available running back, but they put the details to bed quickly—something that’s proven difficult for the program in recent cycles.
Cal running back Jaydn Ott is the No. 60 overall player and the No. 3 running back in the 2025 transfer portal cycle, ranking behind only Makhi Hughes and Justice Haynes.
There’s an argument to be made that the Sooners’ newest offensive addition might have the highest ceiling of the ball carriers in this transfer class, especially if he recaptures his success prior to an ankle injury in 2024.
In 2024, Ott recorded 116 carries for 385 yards (3.3 ypc) and four touchdowns, adding 222 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. However, in 2023, Ott was a bona fide star, earning All-Pac-12 Honors after rushing for a career-high 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns.
So, Oklahoma fans know that they should be excited about Ott coming to Norman, but what exactly makes him such a home run for DeMarco Murray and Co.?
Let’s take a closer look at what the Sooners are getting in the grad transfer from Chino, CA.
Production
Ott is one of the most productive players returning to college football in 2025, with 3,460 all-purpose yards over his first three seasons. In fact, that total is good enough for third among all returning FBS running backs.
From 2022-24, Ott piled up 2,597 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 76.4 yards per game. He added 736 yards and six touchdowns through the air, which breaks out to 21.6 yards per game.
So, in short, you could expect about 100 yards of offense out of Ott in a given game, and he was dealing with an ankle injury in one-third of those contests.
Explosive Ability
Just a quick glance at Ott’s highlight reel reveals the rare ability that makes him incredibly sought-after and a candidate to go early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Ott has two of the most important traits needed to be a successful running back at the next level—patience and acceleration.
Throughout his tape, Ott exhibits patience in the backfield. When a crease opens up, he bursts through the hole with incredible acceleration. An excellent example of this came against Auburn, a red-zone rep against Auburn in 2023 (Video above: 0:34 mark).
After giving the tight end a chance to insert, Ott follows him into the hole. The first three positive yards are fairly typical, but the burst he shows when he hits the 12-yard line and puts a foot in the ground is so impressive. It catches both the linebacker and safety off guard, leaving them reaching and diving for cloth, but Ott is already on the way to the endzone.
The suddenness and explosiveness that Ott exhibits is elite, and it makes him a nightmare for second and third-level defenders, forcing them to take proper angles if they hope to catch him in the open field.
Physicality
Ott is listed at 6-foot-0, 210 pounds, but between the tackles, he runs like he weighs about 15 pounds heavier than that. He gets downhill and is very physical at the point of attack. But it’s not just the fact that he plays well behind his pads.
Ott has great contact balance and seems to run through traffic with relative ease.
In his breakout 2023 season, 833 (63.5%) of his 1,311 rushing yards came after contact. That breaks out to 3.39 yards after contact per attempt. He posted similar numbers in 2022 (3.30 YCO/A), but saw that number dip with an ankle injury last season.
Granted that he’s back to full health in 2025, the Sooners should be able to rely on him to pick up plenty of yards after contact, which is vital in a physical league like the SEC.
Elusiveness
One of the things that Oklahoma running backs struggled to do in 2024 was win their one-on-ones with unblocked defenders. While it wasn’t the only contributing factor to their lack of an explosive rushing attack, it certainly didn’t help their case.
That shouldn’t be a problem with Ott leading the backfield.
Ott has forced 120 missed tackles in his first three seasons, with 59 missed tackles in 2023 and 49 in 2022. Again, his numbers were much lower in 2024 with just 12 missed tackles forced, but the precedent is there.
Simply put, the Sooners are getting a “phone booth guy” in Jaydn Ott, and that’s something they haven’t had since Eric Gray left Norman.
Lateral Agility, Long Speed
One of the qualities that makes Ott so difficult to get to the ground is his lateral agility and natural ability to make defenders miss.
He’s got excellent change-of-direction and footwork, so his operation in tight quarters makes him a threat to burst through any crease a defender gives if they don’t remain gap sound.
When that happens and Ott gets into the open field, he can turn your lights out. It’s hard to find an official 40-time for him, but he’s easily a mid-4.4 guy. He gets up to speed quickly and has good enough long speed to force defenders to take good angles.
Ott’s not the fastest back in the country, but he’s certainly fast enough to break off big-time plays with regularity and his long strides help him cover a lot of ground efficiently.
A True All-Purpose Back
Jaydn Ott Statistics (2022-24)
An all-purpose running back is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in modern college football, and Ott fits that role perfectly.
When you look at his total production, and not just his rushing stats, it shows just how versatile a weapon Ben Arbuckle is getting in the graduate transfer.
Over his first three seasons at Cal, Ott totaled 96 receptions on 117 targets with just three drops, and turned those receptions into 739 yards and six touchdowns. Ott isn’t just a running back that can catch the ball out of the backfield—it’s a strength.
Whether he’s running zone or gap scheme, setting up for a screen, running a true downfield route, or just being the safety valve in the flat, Ott has proven production and playmaking ability. He doesn’t need a ton of space, either, so he can be used creatively in all kinds of situations.
Conclusion: Ott Gives OU an Elite Backfield
Oklahoma didn’t just land a new starting running back with Jaydn Ott, they might’ve given themselves a marked advantage in every game they’ll play next season.
Ott is a proven commodity, and when healthy, he’s one of the most explosive running backs in the country. Now, flanking John Mateer, Ott will serve as the other half of, arguably, the most dynamic backfield in the country.
With a player of Ott’s caliber on the field, Oklahoma’s offense will force defensive coordinators to game plan for all kinds of possibilities out of the backfield, making it a lot easier for Mateer to find space to work downfield.
Thanks to Ott and Mateer, Oklahoma has its most dynamic QB/RB duo since Baker Mayfield and Joe Mixon shared a backfield. If the offensive line can take a big step forward, there’s no reason why this Oklahoma offense shouldn’t cause significant headaches for SEC coordinators in 2025.
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