One of the biggest surprises of the college football offseason came during the spring transfer window when running back Jaydn Ott unexpectedly left Cal to seek a new opportunity for the 2025 season. And within 24 hours of entering the transfer portal, Ott announced his decision to transfer to Oklahoma.
Cal was hit hard by portal defections and finished with a losing record in all three of Ott’s seasons with the program. Ahead of his first preseason camp with the Sooners, Ott detailed one of the biggest differences he’s noticed between his former school and his new one, saying there are “levels” to how much his new team cares.
“I don’t know how to put it nicely, the biggest difference is these guys care,” Ott said on Wednesday. “Not saying my former teammates at Cal don’t care, but there are levels and it shows. In the way guys treat their craft and how often they’re taking care of things outside of the facility in order to be good within it.”
Ott, ranked as the third-best running back in this year’s portal class, gives Oklahoma a major boost heading into a make-or-break season. Oklahoma ranked 11th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (155.2) during the 2024 campaign. Ott will team up with another high-profile transfer, quarterback John Mateer, as the Sooners look for major improvement offensively under new coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who arrived at Oklahoma from Washington State alongside Mateer.
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Ott was limited to 10 games last season after suffering an ankle injury against UC Davis in Cal’s season opener that lingered throughout the campaign. He finished the 2024 campaign with 385 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Ott averaging 109.5 yards per game during his breakout season in 2023, which ranked ninth in the country. He finished that season with 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Ott is also an excellent receiver out of the backfield. Across his three seasons in Berkeley, he compiled 95 catches for 736 yards and six scores.
Ott and Oklahoma open the 2025 season against Illinois State on Aug. 30.
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