Jaydn Ott takes brutal shot at Cal when describing biggest difference at Oklahoma

Running back Jaydn Ott transferred from California to Oklahoma this offseason. And, evidently, he’s enjoying the change of scenery. On Wednesday, Ott was brutally honest when asked what the biggest difference is between Oklahoma and California.

“I don’t know how to put it nicely. The biggest difference is these guys care,” Ott said. “Not saying that my former teammates at Cal don’t care, but there’s levels and it shows in the way that guys treat their craft and how often they’re taking care of things outside the facility in order to be good within it.”

There’s no questioning Ott’s love for the game. In the 2023 campaign, Ott was spectacular, logging 1,305 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He also notched 26 catches for 196 yards and two scores that season.

Ott entered the 2024 campaign as one of the top returning running backs in the country, but had a down year after suffering an ankle injury in the Golden Bears’ season-opener. Ott ultimately missed just two games due to the injury, but was hindered by his ankle all season.

Now fully recovered, Ott is prepared to reach new heights in the 2025 campaign. Clearly, he believes his teammates share a similar mindset. Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables likes the attitude Ott brings to the game.

“He’s got great humility, tremendous work ethic. He’s a people person. He’s a little quiet, but he’s connected well and mature beyond his years,” Venables said during SEC Media Days. “He’s got the ability to carry a lot on his shoulders on and off the field. He’s got a wonderful family, really supportive. He chose to come to Oklahoma and wanted to be pushed. 

“He wanted to be challenged, and he wanted to be in an environment where there’s a lot of people moving in the same direction. Where guys are ambitious and driven, and that’s his testimony.”

While Ott found immense success at California, some college football fans aren’t convinced his talent will hold up against SEC competition. On Wednesday, Venables defended Jaydn Ott from the critics.

“He’s got a great presence to him and has shown tremendous work ethic,” Venables said. “Again, the natural things that you see on tape — his pace, his speed, his explosiveness and his ability to break tackles as his instincts. His ability to do a lot of things out of the backfield. Pass protect, all of those things. He’s gonna have a chance to have success in this conference, which is, again, a great conference. We know that.”