One of many greatest surprises of the faculty soccer offseason got here in the course of the spring switch window when operating again Jaydn Ott unexpectedly left Cal to hunt a brand new alternative for the 2025 season. And inside 24 hours of coming into the switch portal, Ott introduced his choice to switch to Oklahoma.

Cal was hit onerous by portal defections and completed with a dropping document in all three of Ott’s seasons with this system. Forward of his first preseason camp with the Sooners, Ott detailed one of many greatest variations he is seen between his former college and his new one, saying there are “ranges” to how a lot his new staff cares.

“I do not know easy methods to put it properly, the most important distinction is these guys care,” Ott mentioned on Wednesday. “Not saying my former teammates at Cal do not care, however there are ranges and it exhibits. In the way in which guys deal with their craft and the way typically they’re taking good care of issues outdoors of the ability so as to be good inside it.” 

Ott, ranked because the third-best operating again on this yr’s portal class, offers Oklahoma a serious increase heading right into a make-or-break season. Oklahoma ranked eleventh within the SEC in speeding yards per recreation (155.2) in the course of the 2024 marketing campaign. Ott will staff up with one other high-profile switch, quarterback John Mateer, because the Sooners search for main enchancment offensively beneath new coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who arrived at Oklahoma from Washington State alongside Mateer. 

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Ott was restricted to 10 video games final season after struggling an ankle damage in opposition to UC Davis in Cal’s season opener that lingered all through the marketing campaign. He completed the 2024 marketing campaign with 385 speeding yards and 4 touchdowns. Ott averaging 109.5 yards per recreation throughout his breakout season in 2023, which ranked ninth within the nation. He completed that season with 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Ott can be a superb receiver out of the backfield. Throughout his three seasons in Berkeley, he compiled 95 catches for 736 yards and 6 scores. 

Ott and Oklahoma open the 2025 season in opposition to Illinois State on Aug. 30.