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Oklahoma

Greg McElroy explains ranking for Jaydn Ott on Top 10 college football running back list

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•05/12/25•

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Jaydn Ott
OU RB transfer signee Jaydn Ott. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)

In April, California transfer running back Jaydn Ott committed to Oklahoma via the NCAA Transfer Portal. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy expects Ott to thrive with the Sooners.

“If I were to ask the random person on the street, ‘Hey, what’d you make of Carson Beck’s performance in ’24 compared to 2023?’ I think most people would say, ‘Well, yeah, he kind of regressed from where he was in ’23 to where he was in ’24.’ Well, guess what? Jaydn Ott is kind of the Carson Beck of the running back spot,” McElroy said.

“Now, part of that was the injuries. He just wasn’t at any point last year very healthy, and as a result, the stats were down overall. The overall usage was down an awful lot. But if you look at what Jaydn Ott was in 2023 or prior to 2023, the guy was one of the top backs in the country.”

Ott suffered an ankle injury in California’s season-opener last season and never looked the same. He finished the year with 116 carries for 385 yards and four touchdowns. He also hauled in 24 catches for 222 yards and a score.

While those numbers are still solid, they pale in comparison to Ott’s to previous campaigns. In 2023, Ott exploded 1,305 rushing yards and 12 TDs. His 1,305 rushing yards were the ninth-most in the country that season.

As a true freshman in 2022, Ott racked up 897 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Clearly, Ott is capable of more than he showed last season. McElroy believes Ott could reach his former heights in his new environment.

“He’s in a really good spot, a really good spot for how he fits and how he’s going to be able to compliment [OU quarterback] John Mateer, how [OU offensive coordinator] Ben Arbuckle is going to be able to figure out ways to get Ott involved,” McElroy said. “A big part of this is staying healthy, and he’s got to be at 100%. But if he is at 100%, Jaydn Ott can very easily climb this list.

“While I have him currently at No. 10, partly because of the performance and the productivity last year, I feel like I’m getting Jaydn Ott on sale a little bit. I think this is a guy that has top-five potential, top-three potential at the running back spot.”