Where does Jaydn Ott land in ESPN's spring portal player rankings?

USA Today

08-05-2025

Where does Jaydn Ott land in ESPN's spring portal player rankings?
With spring football practice and the NCAA spring transfer portal window in the rearview mirror, we've reached a (mostly) quiet part of the college football offseason. Teams will return after their post-spring ball break for summer workouts, and then fall camp and media days will be here before we know it.
The spring was a very busy time for the Oklahoma Sooners, as they wrapped up spring ball on April 12th with the first-ever "Crimson Combine". But, most of the news came via the spring portal window, and OU's movement within.
It was new general manager Jim Nagy's first crack at player acquisition and roster management, and he seemed to be up to the challenge. The Sooners faced some drama with defensive tackle David Stone entering the portal, but Nagy, head coach Brent Venables and assistant coaches like Todd Bates convinced him to withdraw a few days later.
While retaining Stone was arguably the biggest move of the spring portal window for the Sooners, the acquisition of former Cal running back Jaydn Ott would have to be a close second. In their ranking of transfers from the spring portal window, ESPN ranked Ott third overall on the list. He came in behind only former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who transferred to UCLA, and former Stanford outside linebacker David Bailey, who transferred to Texas Tech.
"Cal fought hard to keep Ott in the fold for 2025, but one of the top returning backs in college football is hitting the open market. Ott got off to a spectacular start to his career with the Bears, earning Freshman All-America honors as a true freshman starter in 2022 after putting up 1,218 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns in his debut season. He was even better as a sophomore, leading the Pac-12 with 1,315 rushing yards and 12 TDs on his way to first-team all-conference honors. Last year, though, an ankle injury suffered in the season opener made it tough for Ott to play up to his potential. He still managed to play in 10 games but finished the year with 385 rushing yards on 3.3 yards per carry and five total scores. After receiving significant SEC interest this offseason, Ott is ready to get back to playing at a high level but is now looking to do so elsewhere for his senior season." - Max Olson, ESPN.
Ott's potential is obvious, and his production from when he was healthy has Sooner fans salivating. His health will be a major key in 205, but he's got a chance to be a star in Norman.
"Ott could be at the top of NFL draft boards if there wasn't a drop-off in production last season. While he lacked a formidable offensive line and played on an injured ankle, he still lacked the explosive runs we saw as an underclassman. He'll still be highly coveted in the spring portal market as an instant-impact weapon with his dynamic traits. Ott possesses exceptional feet and lateral agility. He's a verified 4.5 laser in the 40-yard dash with impressive explosive metrics, but his best asset is his vision and ability to pick and slide gap to gap with quick-twitch elusiveness. Ott doesn't give defenders a clean shot in the hole and can stretch and bounce to the perimeter just as effectively. He breaks tackles with balance more than power and is a productive pass-catching weapon out of the backfield, which raises his value and ability to fit into most schemes. Given the wear on the tires, he might not be able to carry the whole load in the backfield." - Billy Tucker, ESPN.
Ott steps into the lead back role for the Sooners, and he should be the first option in a room with a lot of good players. His ability could take the Oklahoma offense to another level, lining up next to John Mateer.
"The Sooners got solid production from Jovantae Barnes and some encouraging play from Xavier Robinson last season, but they couldn't pass up the opportunity to add a true No. 1 back. He'll team up with quarterback John Mateer in Norman in what should be one of the SEC's most improved offenses this fall." - Olson, ESPN.
Ott could have a huge impact this fall, especially if he can stay healthy in a Sooner uniform. While that was the biggest acquisition that Nagy made this spring, Oklahoma wasn't done. They have also added depth at defensive tackle, center, wide receiver, kicker and quarterback.
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