Fall camp position battles
August is here, and that means we get college football this month, with the Oklahoma Sooners kicking off 2025 against Illinois State on Aug. 30 in Norman. For now, though, there's fall camp, which started Thursday for OU.
Before that season opener, Brent Venables has several key position battles to figure out, including at wide receiver, offensive lineman, tight end, cornerback and cheetah.
Jaydn Ott's honesty
New OU running back Jaydn Ott talked to local media for the first time this week since transferring from the California Golden Bears this spring. He was asked what were the differences between OU and Cal, and Ott was brutally honest in his answer.
"I don't know how to put it nicely," Ott said with a chuckle. "The biggest difference -- these guys care.
"Not saying that my former teammates at Cal don't care, but there's levels. And it shows in the way guys treat their craft and how often they're taking care of things outside of the facility in order to be good within it."
At OU Media Day today, I caught up with Cal transfer Jaydn Ott about the differences between the Golden Bears and the Sooners.#BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/aQiB5Muf4B
— James Wicks (@JamesWicksTV) July 30, 2025
Ott also admitted that his ankle injury that hindered him most of last season was mishandled at Cal. But when healthy in 2023, Ott led the Pac-12 with 1,315 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
Sooners on award watch lists
OU linebackers Kip Lewis and Sammy Omosigho were both on the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in college football. Lewis was also on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is presented to the most outstanding defensive player, regardless of position.
OU safety Robert Spears-Jennings was also recognized for his production off the field while on the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watch list, which goes to the player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
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