A once-electric Cal running back whose stock cratered after an injury-plagued 2024 and a lost transfer season at Oklahoma, now hoping to reset his career in Kansas City.
Jaydn Ott looked like one of college football's premier running backs during his first two years at California, then saw his career stall through injury and an ill-fitting transfer to Oklahoma. He went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Chiefs looking to recapture the form that once made him a Pac-12 star.
Path to the league
Ott, born in Chino, California, starred at Norco High School after transferring from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, rushing for 1,140 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior. He signed with California as a four-star recruit and immediately became the Golden Bears' featured back. After an injury-shortened 2024 and a disappointing lone season at Oklahoma, he went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
Ott's best season came in 2023, when he rushed for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns on 246 carries and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. As a true freshman in 2022, he ran for 897 yards and 8 touchdowns while adding 46 catches, a dual-threat profile that made him a highly regarded NFL prospect entering his final college seasons.
2025 season recap
After transferring to Oklahoma in a high-profile move, Ott barely factored into the offense, playing in seven games without a start and finishing with just 21 carries for 68 yards and two catches for 10 yards. The lost season, following an ankle injury that limited him to 385 rushing yards at Cal in 2024, contributed to his falling out of the 2026 draft entirely.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jaydn Ott
- Yahoo Sports: 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Jaydn Ott, Running Back, Oklahoma
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- Oklahoma
- Hometown
- Chino, CA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
