Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle took time to praise two players before taking questions after the Sooners’ 44-0 win against Kent State on Saturday: quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and running back Jaydn Ott.
Both players had attributed almost nothing in the No. 5 Sooners’ first four wins of the season, but that was expected from Hawkins, who was planned to redshirt as the backup quarterback. However, with John Mateer injured, Hawkins started against Kent State and will lead OU’s offense until Mateer returns.
Ott, though, was supposed to be a star by this point in the season, but after oddly getting little usage, he finally got double-digit carries for the first time this season on Saturday.
Jaydn Ott finding role in Sooners' offense
“He’s a very mature kid,” Arbuckle said. “He’s a very aware kid. He’s a very experienced kid. He knows what it looks like and what it doesn’t look like, and the way that he’s practiced the last two weeks is what it looks like. The way he’s prepared is what it looks like. So, he’s very mature.
“He’s very aware, and so, I think it speaks a lot to him as a kid, as a young man, and I love what I’ve seen from him — both football and personally here, as of lately. So, I’m really excited for him.”
After getting nine carries total in three games and not even seeing the field in the Sooners’ last outing against Auburn, Ott had 11 attempts for 49 yards while averaging 4.5 yards a carry against Kent State. He also caught two passes for 10 yards, and was even motioned around, which was initially supposed to be part of the game plan this whole time.
Freshman Tory Blaylock still led the Sooners with 15 attempts for 78 yards. As much as it’s been a surprise for Blaylock to take over the backfield as a freshman, it’s been even more shocking that it was up for grabs in the first place.
Ott transferred to OU from California this offseason as the top running back available in the Transfer Portal. The Sooners were already deep at the position, but general manager Jim Nagy had had his eye on Ott for a long time and he was supposed to be so good it didn’t matter who the Sooners already had. Ott led the Pac-12 in rushing in 2023 before an ankle injury hindered him last season. That track record made Ott the presumed RB1 when he got to campus.
Then Ott missed over two weeks of fall camp because of an injury. He got just one carry for minus-three yards Week 1. He got four attempts each the next two games, and it just seemed like he lacked the explosiveness he had at Cal. Ott then didn’t even see the field against Auburn.
After four games, heading into the bye week, it looked as if Ott’s time at OU was a bust. Arbuckle and OU head coach Brent Venables kept saying Ott would eventually have a role in the offense, but Venables also said things like, “You wish he was a little further along in every way.” And instead of Ott’s opportunities growing, they vanished.
But apparently the curious case of Jaydn Ott was solved during the bye week. Whatever the holdup was is no longer an issue. And with a slate that includes six ranked opponents in the final seven games ahead, starting with Texas in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday, Ott was right on time.
“I say this to the guys all the time, it doesn’t matter what’s taken place, good or bad, in the past,” Venables said. “All that matters is what you do today and moving forward. So you gotta die to the good, you gotta die to the bad, and when you die, you win. You’re getting better and that needs to be the focus. Learn from getting cut, and mistakes or bad moments, things of that nature, maybe not having my opportunity, whatever that is. Nobody wants to hear it, nobody feels bad for you. All that matters is what you do now.
“It was good to see (Ott) out there and doing some things that, what we’ve said, answering some of the questions earlier this week, he’s looked good over the bye week and he’s gotten into a nice rhythm. He’s run with some power, some confidence.
“It’s taken him a little longer, but it’s right on time.”
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