The Oklahoma Sooners made a pair of splashes in the spring transfer portal on Tuesday evening. They earned a commitment from interior offensive lineman Jake Maikkula. Oklahoma also added one of the best running backs in the nation, Jaydn Ott from Cal.
Ott comes to the Oklahoma Sooners as a graduate transfer and will be in Norman for his final season of eligibility.
He’s a dynamic runner, who put together a 1,300-yard season back in 2023. That year he ran for 12 touchdowns. That followed a true freshman season in 2022 where he ran for 897 yards and eight touchdowns. Ott has recorded 3,333 yards from scrimmage and 30 total touchdowns in his three seasons for the Golden Bears. Now he joins the Sooners as the lead running back for a group that has struggled over the last couple of seasons.
Ott is coming off of a 2024 season in which he battled injuries, but he immediately improves the Oklahoma Sooners offense with his ability create big plays in the running game. Ott displays fantastic contact balance and speed. He’s got the toughness and physicality to run between the tackles and the quickness, speed, and agility to breakaway from opposing defenses.
Though the Oklahoma Sooners brought back all of their running backs from the 2024 season, but there hasn’t been a back that’s emerged to take hold of the starting job this spring. Ott upgrades the unit for 2025, a unit that still has a bright future with Xavier Robinson, Taylor Tatum, and Tory Blaylock.
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