Sooners running back Jaydn Ott gets real and honest about his last season at Oklahoma while at the Senior Bowl
The Sooners really could have used Ott.
The Oklahoma Sooners struggled with their running game last season, which failed to consistently energize the rest of the offense. This was largely due to injuries and poor execution in tight-end blocking.
Jaydn Ott was brought to Oklahoma as a potential star running back, but things didn’t go as planned. Now at the Senior Bowl, he’s aiming to prove he can play in the NFL and is already facing tough questions.
Ott talks about his last two seasons of football at the Senior Bowl
“My career is a big question mark,” Ott told Travis May of A to Z Sports at the Senior Bowl. “The first two seasons were pretty decent, and the last two, I pretty much fell off the face of the earth. I’m just excited to get out here and play ball, really. I haven’t had the chance to get on the field much.”
It’s not fair to call Ott’s time at Oklahoma a disappointment, but things didn’t go as expected. He was brought in from the transfer portal last offseason to start at running back. However, injuries, limited knowledge of the offense, and a late start in training camp could all be reasons why Ott barely played.
Ott attributes the past two seasons to injuries. It’s important to remember that only the players know what they’re going through mentally or physically.
“I faced a couple of injuries,” Ott said. “One in my junior year to start the season off in my first game. Tried to fight through it. Probably wasn’t the smartest idea, I was putting out bad tape. I’m grateful that I learned some lessons from it. I faced some adversity, and now I’m better for it.”
This could work in Ott’s favor. NFL teams today don’t want running backs with too much mileage, given the short careers at the position. Ott played only three full seasons, which could give him a potential advantage.
Ott played 561 snaps his first year at Cal, then 637, and 440 last season. This year, he had just 69 total snaps and 564 rushing snaps. With relatively low mileage, Ott is off to an excellent start at the Senior Bowl, showing strong pass-blocking and other skills. A team could draft him and get what OU hoped for.
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