On3 college football expert excited about Oklahoma Sooners offense

USA Today

01-05-2025

On3 college football expert excited about Oklahoma Sooners offense
The Oklahoma Sooners have made several significant additions through the transfer portal this offseason on both sides of the ball. But one of the spring portal additions has a chance to be one of the most impactful in the SEC in 2025, and that's the move to bring in Jaydn Ott.
Ott came to Oklahoma from Cal, where he amassed 3,333 total yards of offense and 30 touchdowns during his career with the Golden Bears. That came despite playing with an injury throughout the 2024 season, which led to the lowest yardage total of his collegiate career. Now, in a backfield that features the other big splash this offseason, John Mateer, OU has a dynamic duo to lead their offense in 2025.
It's an addition that has On3 college football analyst J.D. PicKell fired up about what Oklahoma's offense can be in 2025.
"The math just got harder defending Oklahoma," PicKell started. "Because you think about John Mateer... Does some stuff downfield, obviously, plus what he can do with his legs. Javonnie Gibson, when he gets healthy, he's a tremendous threat for them. All spring long, he was, at least until he got dinged up. Deion Burks, he's healthy, he's a dawg for you. You go down the list, there's a lot of dudes to defend here in the pass game themselves, plus John Mateer with his legs. Now you add in a guy like Jaydn Ott and all his production he had at Cal a year ago, plus you can throw him the football. The math is tough. The to-do list to defend Oklahoma as an offense just keeps on getting longer to the point where if you're a defense, I don't know how you check all the boxes."
Ott's abilities out of the backfield will create opportunities for John Mateer. Both in the traditional passing game and at the mesh point in the read-option game. Teams will have to account for Ott when Mateer appears to be handing it off. Because if they don't, Ott could be off to the races and create a big play on the ground. But if teams overplay Ott in the read-option game or run-pass option, Mateer will get more room to work. And he's proven capable of creating big plays on the ground and through the air.
The Sooners have made a number of impact additions on offense this season but need their offensive line to be better than it was in 2024 for it all to come together. If it does, the Sooners could position themselves to be a Collge Football Playoff contender in 2025.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.