Latest news with #JaydnOtt
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does Jaydn Ott land in ESPN's spring portal player rankings?
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. 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 Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
San Francisco Chronicle
28-04-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Cal, Stanford football both hit hard by spring transfer portal losses
The transfer portal affords college athletes an unprecedented level of freedom to find a better fit, particularly in football. The sport's primary transfer window takes place during bowl season in December, followed by another 10-day football-only portal period in April that facilitates a second wave of player movement after spring practices conclude. It's common for a program to work through spring ball with two-deep talent that won't be around by preseason camp in August. Even cornerstone pieces can be lost to this cycle, as Cal experienced first-hand earlier this month when former All-Pac-12 first-team running back Jaydn Ott and his backup, Jaivian Thomas – who rushed for 626 yards and seven touchdowns on an impressive 6.3 yards per carry in an elevated role last season – entered the transfer portal with days of one another once the spring portal opened on April 16. Stanford's 10-day window effectively tripled after the school fired head coach Troy Taylor for alleged mistreatment of staffers in late March. After any head-coaching change, a team's players have up to 30 days to enter the transfer portal. Per 247Sports, a recruiting service that invests in a network of websites dedicated to coverage of major college athletics programs, four-star edge rusher David Bailey was among the seven Cardinal players who entered the transfer portal after Taylor's dismissal. 'You can't name a team right now that doesn't have a player that they wish didn't go into this,' Cal general manager Ron Rivera said in a virtual press conference on April 21. With the transfer portal now closed, how did Cal and Stanford do with roster turnover? Cal Bears Cal has received 25 verbal transfer commitments – which among Atlantic Coast Conference schools trails Wake Forest (31), North Carolina (30), Virginia (26) and Louisville (26) in terms of total pledges. The group was ranked eighth in 247Sports' transfer class rankings for the 17-team ACC. Transfers, unlike high school and junior college recruits who sign a national letter of intent (NLI), are not bound to a given school until they enroll in their first class, so a few transfers the Bears welcomed during the December cycle have since re-entered the portal. Of their 25 incoming transfers, 13 are offensive players. An exodus of 23 outgoing transfers on that side of the ball comes in the wake of significant changes to the offensive coaching staff following a fourth consecutive season with a record under .500. Starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza headlined Cal's departures along with Ott and wide receiver Nyziah Hunter. The abrupt loss of five running backs to the portal, including Ott and Thomas, was an unexpected development this offseason. Rivera had relished the promise of an Ott-Thomas one-two punch in the Cal backfield less than a week before they emptied their lockers. In an offense likely to be led by four-star freshman quarterback transfer Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele, they weren't going to be easily replaced. NC State junior transfer Raphael Kendrick, who received the fourth-most carries among Wolfpack running backs last season, and UTSA junior transfer Brandon High Jr., who averaged 7.8 yards per carry with a team-high eight rushing touchdowns as a backup back, are set to join a room that returns only two scholarship players from its spring roster: sophomore Jamaal Wiley and three-star incoming freshman Anthony League. 'Did we give Jaydn Ott a great shot?' Rivera said of the staff's efforts to keep the three-year starter. 'I believe we did. … Sometimes an athlete just thinks, 'I've accomplished all I can here, and it's potentially time to move on.'' Four star: QB Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), RB Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma), WR Nyziah Hunter (Nebraska), WR Tobias Merriweather (uncommitted), RB Byron Cardwell Jr. (uncommitted), WR Mavin Anderson (Texas State). Three-star: RB Jaivian Thomas (UCLA), TE Jack Endries (Texas), WR Mikey Matthews (UCLA), IOL Matthew Wykoff (Houston), WR Josiah Martin (Oklahoma), TE J.T. Byrne (Georgia Tech), EDGE David Reese (Syracuse), S Ryan Yaites (uncommitted), WR Jonathan Brady (uncommitted), TE Camden Jones (uncommitted), EDGE Myles Williams (uncommitted), QB Andrew Maushardt (uncommitted), IOL Dylan Jemtegaard (uncommitted), WR Mason Sterling (San Jose State), OT Trent Ramsey (uncommitted), RB Justin Williams-Thomas (uncommitted), P Bobby Engstler (Arkansas State), S Brooklyn Cheek (Wyoming), TE Nate Rutchena (UC Davis). Two-star: EDGE John Gayer (uncommitted), K Kyle Cunanan (uncommitted). Unranked: TE Simon Mapa (uncommitted), RB Kadarius Calloway (uncommitted), QB Chandler Rogers (uncommitted), K Derek Morris (UMass), LS Caleb Johnston (uncommitted). Four star: QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Oregon). Three-star: QB Devin Brown (Ohio State), RB Kendrick Raphael (NC State), WR Quaron Adams (South Dakota), EDGE TJ Bush (Liberty), RB Brandon High Jr. (UTSA), EDGE Chris Victor (Chattanooga), CB Quimari Shemwell (Utah), S Dru Polidore Jr. (Montana State), EDGE Jayden Wayne (Washington), WR Dazmin Jones (Arkansas), WR Jacob De Jesus (UNLV), TE Mason Mini (Idaho), IOL Tyson Ruffins (Nevada), LB Buom Jock (Colorado State), S Tristan Dunn (Washington), OT Leon Bell (Mississippi State), IOL Lamar Robinson (Georgia State), IOL Lajuan Owens (New Mexico), CB Hezekiah Masses (FIU), IOL Jordan Spasojevic-Moko (Charlotte), DL Tyson Ford (Notre Dame). Unranked: P Brook Honore (Arkansas State). Stanford Cardinal From a transfer portal standpoint, the firing of Taylor was less of a catalyst than it was confirmation that Stanford was not prepared to field a winning football program. Eighteen of its 25 outgoing transfers entered the portal before Taylor was relieved of his duties. The Cardinal finished 3–9 in both seasons under Taylor, extending its streak of 3-9 records to four. Long gone are the glory days of the David Shaw-led teams in the 2010s. Then a high-profile player also decided it was time to go. Bailey led the Cardinal in sacks back-to-back seasons with seven in 2024 and five in 2023, and left for Texas Tech as a four-star transfer. Stanford's 15 incoming transfers include no four-stars, unless you count Texas Tech sophomore interior offensive lineman transfer Nick Fattig, who was a four-star high school recruit in the 2023 class but has yet to be re-evaluated as a transfer after appearing in four games as a redshirt freshman backup left guard last season. The Cardinal ranks 11th on 247Sports' ACC transfer class rankings. It will most likely take more than one offseason with an interim head coach (Frank Reich) for first-year general manager Andrew Luck to renew Stanford football to what it was when he led the program to an Orange Bowl and a Fiesta Bowl as a two-time Heisman runner-up in 2010 and 2011. Four-star: EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech), CB Julian Neal (Arkansas). Three-star: QB Bear Bachmeier (uncommitted), WR Emmett Mosley V (Texas), IOL Jake Maikkula (Oklahoma), WR Mudia Reuben (USF), RB Brendon Barrow (uncommitted), WR Ismael Cisse (Arkansas), WR Ahmari Borden (uncommitted), CB Brandon Jones (uncommitted), WR Chase Ferrell (Northwestern), EDGE Aaron Armitage (FIU), S Jaden Siocum (uncommitted), WR Jackson Harris (Hawaii), S Jshawn Frausto-Ramos (Arizona), QB Ashton Daniels (Auburn), IOL Austin Uke (Maryland), WR Jayson Raines (NAU), IOL Trevor Mayberry (Mississippi State), OT Connor McLaughlin (USF), OT Luke Baklenko (Oklahoma), QB Justin Lamson (Montana State). Unranked: CB Evan Jackson (uncommitted), RB Ryan Butler (uncommitted). Incoming transfers Four-star: IOL Nick Fattig (Texas Tech). Three-star: CB Breylan Thompson (Yale), CB Sam Neely (Wake Forest), QB Dylan Rizk (UCF), LB Zach Johnson (Idaho), RB Tuna Altahir (Eastern Washington), OT Kai Greer (Georgia Tech), TE Brendan Doyle (Memphis), WR Caden High (South Carolina State), WR C.J. Williams (Wisconsin), IOL Nathan Mejia (Sacramento State), OT Niki Prongos (UCLA), WR Jordan Onovughe (Colorado), CB Jordan Washington (Dartmouth), WR David Pantelis (Yale). Recruiting stars reflect the latest 247Sports rating assigned to each player, which for some is a new re-evaluated transfer grade while others may have only their old high school ranking. Note that as-yet uncommitted players may not ultimately transfer out, though most do.
New York Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Which Power 4 programs lost the most talent in the spring transfer portal window?
The 10-day spring transfer portal window traditionally is not as loaded with talent as the winter window. Most Power 4 rosters have had position needs met by now, and NIL budgets are usually tapped out by the time April rolls around. Yet, we've continued to see movement as players look for a boost in pay or a fresh start on a depth chart elsewhere. It's hard to call any P4 program a winner or loser at this point in the process (the portal window closes end of day Friday for both graduates and undergraduates), but it's fair to say some programs have been hit harder by departures than others. Advertisement Yes, Tennessee lost quarterback Nico Iamaleava to essentially a contract dispute, but the SEC, for the most part, was unscathed by losses during the spring window. Here's a look at eight programs that lost notable players. The Cougars have had 10 players enter the portal during the spring window, and two stand out as notable losses. Linebacker Harrison Taggart had 69 tackles, one sack and one interception over 12 starts in 2024. Receiver Keelan Marion, an electric return specialist, ranked third on the team with 24 catches for 346 yards, and he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns last season as well. Of Cal's 17 departures this spring, three were full-time starters on offense. Tight end Jack Endries (Texas) led the team in receiving (56 catches, 623 yards). Receiver Jonathan Brady (36 catches, 386 yards) started 12 games. Running back Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma) was a 1,300-yard rusher in 2023. Three other departures started at least one game in 2024 — receiver Mavin Anderson (11 career starts), leading rusher Jaivian Thomas and safety Ryan Yaites. Cal GM Ron Rivera spoke on the situation with running back Jaydn Ott who left the Bears for Oklahoma after spring ball came to a close. "Did we give Jaydn Ott a great shot? I believe we did." — Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) April 21, 2025 Mike Norvell has not stopped reshaping his roster following a 2-10 season. Four of the nine players who left this spring started games for the Seminoles in 2024, including the only five-star recruit in the Norvell era — receiver Hykeem Williams, who started eight games and caught 21 passes in his two-year career in Tallahassee. Former LSU receiver Jalen Brown, who started two games in 2024, was reportedly dismissed from the team last weekend following an arrest. Terrence Ferguson, a 2024 transfer from Alabama and former top-100 recruit, entered the portal after starting seven games for FSU at left guard this past fall. Jaylen Earl, another former blue-chipper who started six games on the offensive line in 2024, entered the portal on April 14. Advertisement Willie Fritz has had some solid transfer portal victories since taking over the Cougars, including landing tight end Tanner Koziol this spring after he left Wisconsin. But it's not often that a first-team All-Big 12 selection like safety A.J. Haulcy hits the market this time of year. Haulcy, who signed with New Mexico out of high school, led the Cougars with five interceptions and ranked second with 74 tackles last season. He's made 33 career starts. The Cougars also lost cornerback Jeremiah Wilson, who started eight games in 2024 and was second on the team with four interceptions. The Terrapins have lost eight players to the portal this spring, including four to Big Ten and SEC schools. The most notable were starting linebackers Caleb Wheatland (Auburn) and Kellan Wyatt (Indiana). Wyatt started 28 games in his career at Maryland and led the team with 7.5 tackles for loss last season. Wheatland started 11 games and led the Terrapins with four sacks in 2024. Two of Maryland's best young linemen also left for new homes. Terez Davis, a freshman who started two games at left tackle, was picked up by Ole Miss. Defensive lineman Lavon Johnson, a second-year player, was signed by Texas. You knew coach Bill Belichick was going to tinker with the Tar Heels roster quite a bit, and that's continued this spring. North Carolina has had an ACC-high 25 departures this spring, but nine are former walk-ons and all but five were reserves for the Tar Heels last season. The notable losses are Ohio State-bound edge rusher Beau Atkinson, the team leader in tackles for loss (12) and sacks (7.5), and linebacker Amare Campbell, who started 12 games in 2024. Redshirt freshman receiver Christian Hamilton, a four-game starter in 2024, left for West Virginia. When coach Troy Taylor was fired on March 25, it opened the door for other teams to grab key pieces from the Cardinal's roster. Five players have left Palo Alto since, including edge rusher David Bailey (Texas Tech), center Jake Maikkula (Oklahoma), receiver Emmett Mosley V (Texas) and safety Julian Neal (Arkansas). Neal was around for only a few months after transferring from Fresno State during the winter window. Advertisement Bailey led the team with seven sacks, and Mosley was the top returning receiver (48 catches, 525 yards, six TDs). There was speculation that Bear Bachmeier, a four-star QB signee in the Class of 2025, was heading to the portal, but he was reportedly practicing with the team earlier this week. The Orange might have found their next starting quarterback, signing Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli on Wednesday, but they suffered some significant personnel losses this spring. Ten players departed, including four who have Power 4 starting experience. The most notable are receiver Trebor Pena, who led the ACC with 84 catches for 941 yards and nine touchdowns last fall, and freshman defensive tackle Maraad Watson, who transferred to Texas after starting 11 games in 2024. Enrique Cruz Jr., who started 13 games at left tackle in 2023 for Syracuse, and David Wohlabaugh Jr., who started three games at left tackle in 2024, are the others. (Photo of Justin Wilcox: Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images)
USA Today
22-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma's Jaydn Ott tops SEC RB Rankings, but CBS Sports says he'll need lots of help
Oklahoma's Jaydn Ott tops SEC RB Rankings, but CBS Sports says he'll need lots of help The Oklahoma Sooners made a big move to help their offense in the spring transfer portal window, when they added former Cal running back Jaydn Ott. This addition, along with OU's current RB room of Jovantae Barnes, Xavier Robinson, Gavin Sawchuk, Taylor Tatum, and Tory Blaylock give the Sooners a very deep and talented stable of ballcarriers for 2025, especially if running backs coach DeMarco Murray can keep his returning backs out of the portal. But Ott is no doubt the headliner of that group. He is among the best at his position in the entire SEC. CBS Sports staff writer Shehan Jeyarajah ranked the feature back for each team in the SEC on Wednesday, putting the new Oklahoma addition atop his list. Ott suffered through injuries all of last season. When he's healthy, though, Ott is one of the nation's most explosive players. As a sophomore in 2023, he exploded for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns at California to lead a surprising run to a bowl game. Ott will slot into Oklahoma's lineup and give them the high-caliber offensive playmaker that they haven't seen since Eric Gray and Marvin Mims graduated. The Sooners need him to stay healthy. - Jeyarajah, CBS Sports Ott's health is certainly one of the biggest things to keep an eye on with this acquisition, but there's no doubt that general manager Jim Nagy and head coach Brent Venables were able to add a back with plenty of potential and the ability to help the OU offense in a big way. However, another staff writer at CBS Sports doesn't believe that the move for Ott will matter all that much for Oklahoma if another position group isn't up to the task. Tom Fornelli thinks the Sooners have bigger problems than the portals top running back can fix. The addition of the former 2023 All-American and Pac-12 first-team running back is another boost for the Sooner's offense, and believe me, it's an offense in serious need of a boost. It could perhaps find use for two or even three more boosts. - Fornelli, CBS Sports Fornelli dove into the data to explain just how bad the OU offense was a season ago, noting that the Sooners didn't finish in the top 80 nationally out of 134 FBS teams in any major offensive category. In fact, most of their national rankings dipped into the 100s, in categories such as yards per play (123rd), explosive play rate (131st), and pressure rate allowed (121st). Jaydn Ott is a good player, and he's one Oklahoma fans should rightfully be excited about adding to the roster. The pairing of Ott and Mateer in the backfield together has the makings of a fun and exciting duo, but those two alone likely aren't enough to take the Oklahoma offense from "this is extremely offensive to all my senses, not just my vision" to a unit capable of leading Oklahoma to an SEC Championship appearance, or a possible College Football Playoff berth. You see, if you watched the Oklahoma offense last season, the skill talent wasn't the biggest problem. The fact Oklahoma's wide receivers spent more time in the training room dealing with injuries than on the football field was certainly a problem, but even if they'd been healthy, I'm not sure how often they'd have seen the ball. - Fornelli, CBS Sports Fornelli then went on to explain starting quarterback Jackson Arnold's poor play from last year, but also pointed out that the struggles were certainly not all on him. He referenced the lack of a good run game for most of the season and the aforementioned injuries, especially at wide receiver. But Fornelli thinks OU's biggest problem is still up front. Fornelli noted that the Sooners have tried to make improvements on the offensive line in the transfer portal this offseason, but thinks that Mateer and Ott will not be enough if Oklahoma struggles up front again in 2025. How that unit fares in 2025 will ultimately determine how many games the Sooners win. Realistically, it's hard to imagine there will be enough improvement to vault the Sooners to the top of the league ... Having Mateer, Ott and receivers capable of actually playing should certainly make this team more competitive, but the schedule remains difficult (Michigan in non-conference, road trips to South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, plus the annual date with Texas). As presently constructed, this is a team that probably wins eight or maybe nine games if everything goes well and there aren't major injuries. If they don't, it could be another season that sees the Sooners scratching and clawing for bowl eligibility. - Fornelli, CBS Sports Ott's addition was a great move for the Sooners, as were the acquisitions of Mateer and new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. But anyone who watched Oklahoma play in 2024 knows that the offensive line was, well, offensive to have to watch. The Sooners have made some big moves to try to get back to being the Oklahoma college football fears, but if the offensive line doesn't make a big leap forward, it may all be for nothing.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-04-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Cal football GM Ron Rivera says the program has a 'plan' following transfer portal losses
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — California football general manager Ron Rivera sought to ease the concerns of a worried fan base after star running back Jaydn Ott and several other key players entered the transfer portal this spring. 'We're not the only team in the NCAA that is going through this portal situation right now,' Rivera said Monday. 'You can't name a team right now that doesn't have a player that they wish didn't go in. We understand all it and we all understand fan favorites. There will be other favorites.' Cal has been hit hard this spring after losing starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana earlier this year. The biggest loss was Ott, who left for Oklahoma earlier this month after three stellar years at Cal. Ott led the Pac-12 with 1,315 yards rushing in 2023 and was expected to be a key part of the offense in 2025 after being hampered by injuries last season. 'Did we give Jaydn Ott a great shot? I believe we did," Rivera said. "Sometimes an athlete just thinks I've accomplished all I can here and it's time to move on. ... The hard part about him leaving early is here's a young man that had an opportunity to really create the type of legacy that you could be proud of. But again, it was his decision that he felt was best for himself.' The Golden Bears also saw leading rusher Jaivian Thomas enter the portal last week and reportedly three other scholarship running backs went into the portal. Cal also lost star tight end Jack Endries to Texas in the portal, leading to several big holes on offense. 'It was something that was anticipated," Rivera said. "If there is one guy that we wished didn't go in, yeah, there was at least one that we wish didn't go in. But for the most part when you look at what we're doing, we have a plan. We went out and we've identified a number of guys that we like and a number of guys that if we can get these guys we're pretty much where we were a month ago. Are we concerned? Yes. We have to get those guys in.' Rivera made clear that he will have his 'hands in every facet of Cal football' and answer directly to Chancellor Rich Lyons instead of athletic director Jim Knowlton. Rivera said he consults with Lyons on every major decision and is working closely with coach Justin Wilcox and his staff with the major goal of making Cal football 'relevant again.' Wilcox is entering his ninth season in charge of the Golden Bears and has a 42-50 career record. Cal went 6-7 last season in its first year in the ACC, losing to UNLV in the LA Bowl. The Bears haven't finished with a winning record since 2019, haven't finished a season ranked in the AP poll since 2006 and haven't played in a top-tier bowl game since the 1959 Rose Bowl. Rivera said it has been 'cool' to work with Wilcox through spring practice and the two are intent on sparking the program. 'What I have with Justin is a working relationship,' Rivera said. 'It's an opportunity for he and I to get together, discuss, collaborate and talk about the things we need to do as a university to help this football program become a very successful program that thrives for excellence.'
