The Oklahoma Sooners announced on their social media platforms Tuesday that they have secured the commitment of former California running back Jaydn Ott. According to 247Sports, Ott was ranked No. 3 among running backs in the transfer portal.
California has now lost four running backs in total, impacting their roster depth ahead of the upcoming season, while California has now secured their 17th commitment, with Ott being the 13th offensive addition.
Is Oklahoma Football on the Rise?
The Oklahoma Sooners finished the 2024 college football season with a disappointing 6-7 record, topped off by a loss to the Navy Shipmen in the Armed Forces Bowl. However, head Coach Brent Venables has put plans in motion to ensure the new campaign doesn’t pan out in the same way.
The Sooners have been extremely active this off-season as Ott’s signing makes it the 17th addition to the squad. The biggest addition came in December, when quarterback John Mateer transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State, reuniting with his former offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
The offense is where Oklahoma have the most problems and they’ve signed 13 offensive players in an attempt to fix that. The signing of Ott is a significant boost to the sooners’ offense. They also secured the commitment of former Stanford interior offensive lineman Jake Maikkula. Maikkula started 16 games for the Cardinal in 2024 and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
“I think retention is the most important part of the whole puzzle,” Venables said of the transfer portal during a recent press conference. “You want to develop a locker room that has continuity. Consistency. Stability. That’s healthy to be successful. And if you look at our roster and the numbers that we’ve signed — each year, it’s gone down. And that’s ideally what you want.”
What does Jaydn Ott bring to Oklahoma?
The Sooners are getting the former 2023 All-American and Pac-12 first-team running back. In 2023, Ott led the Pac-12 with 1,315 rushing yards and recorded 12 rushing touchdowns. He spent three years in California so he’s coming with a lot of experience.
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Although he was limited to 10 games last season after suffering an ankle injury, he still finished the 2024 campaign with 385 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He leaves Cal with a total of 2,597 rushing yards, 24 rushing touchdowns, 736 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns.
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