Jaydn Ott thriving at Senior Bowl makes his Oklahoma season even more baffling

It was already hard enough for Oklahoma fans to believe that former running back Jaydn Ott was standing out during last week's practices leading up to the Senior Bowl, but then it was even more mind-boggling when Ott even impressed during Saturday's game.

Despite being a Transfer Portal bust in his lone season with the Sooners, Ott still earned an invite to the Senior Bowl based on his success at Cal, then surprisingly rose his stock for the NFL Draft as much as any other player that was in Mobile, Alabama, throughout the week for the Senior Bowl.

Jaydn Ott improves NFL Draft stock at Senior Bowl

Playing for Team American, which beat Team National 17-9 in the Senior Bowl, Ott totaled 51 yards in limited opportunity. The most total yards he ever had in a game as a Sooner in 2025 was 59 in a blowout against Kent State. He never posted more than 11 yards in any of the other four games he got a carry or caught a pass in after getting to Norman last spring as the No. 1 running back in the Transfer Portal.

Ott tied for a team-high eight carries that he turned into 42 yards while averaging 5.2 an attempt. His highlight of the day came when he took a toss around the outside for a five-yard touchdown.

Ott never reached the end zone while wearing crimson and cream in 2025. He touched the ball 26 total times while at OU between 21 carries, two receptions and two kickoff returns. Ott was overall a disappointment, and after an offseason of high hopes, he was basically non-existent in the Sooners' offense.

At Cal, though, Ott led the Pac-12 in rushing in 2023 with 1,305 yards and 12 TDs. He also caught 26 passes for 196 yards and two scores, and was also dangerous as a return man with a 100-yard return TD during the season. An injury then hampered Ott in 2024 before he transferred to OU ahead of his final season.

What Ott flashed at Cal and throughout the week at the Senior Bowl has anyone who watched him this season scratching their head. Outsiders question OU's staff, but OU fans saw firsthand reasons why Ott wasn't seeing the field much and Brent Venables on multiple occasions sounded frustrated about Ott's practice situation. There was even a viral moment during the Red River Rivalry where Ott just completely ignored making a block, but during Senior Bowl practices, he was most impressive during blocking drills.

If Ott manages to make a career for himself in the NFL, he could be the most puzzling transfer to ever come through Oklahoma.