Oklahoma made a splash Tuesday by landing former Cal running back Jaydn Ott, the Sooners announced.
Ott, who spent the past three seasons with the Golden Bears, entered the transfer portal Monday as a graduate transfer and became arguably the top tailback available.
A preseason All-ACC selection in 2024, Ott battled injuries and was limited to only 385 rushing yards last year. However, he previously led the Pac-12 with 1,315 yards on the ground in ’23 while rushing for a career-high 12 touchdowns.
Ott registered at least 1,200 scrimmage yards and 11 total TDs in each of his first two seasons at Cal. If healthy, he could become a key contributor to an Oklahoma offense that ranked only 97th in scoring during the 2024 season with an average of 24 points per game. Jovantae Barnes led the Sooners with 577 rushing yards last year.
Ott isn’t the only notable addition to Oklahoma’s backfield for the 2025 season. The Sooners are also projected to make a change under center after landing former Washington State quarterback John Mateer in December.
Oklahoma also added former Stanford offensive lineman Jake Maikkula on Tuesday. Maikkula has two years of eligibility remaining.
