The college football season is just weeks away, making it the perfect time to spotlight rising stars. This segment will feature California Golden Bears’ electric running back Jaydn Ott.

Ott originally attended Norco High School in California, before heading to Las Vegas, Nevada to join powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School. The young running back would go on to have a successful high school career and early on committed to play college football at the University of Oregon before signing his National Letter of Intent to play for the University of California.

As a freshman in 2022, Ott was named to the Freshman-All-American team and finished with 170 carries for 897 total yards and 8 touchdowns. He was utilized heavily in the passing game catching 46 receptions for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Ott is a dual-threat athlete who is dynamic when the ball is in his hands. Just this past season, he had a breakout campaign and made the First-team All-Pac-12, which honors the best players in the conference following the college football season; he is on pace to continue to shine and he is our college football player to watch in 2024.

Pro Football Focus listed him at number four on their top-10 returning running backs article. Author Max Chadwick discussed Ott and how he dominated in his first two years with the Cal Golden Bears.

Similarly to Judkins, Ott dominated his first two seasons of college football. Since 2022, his 1,394 yards after contact and 108 forced missed tackles rank third among returning Power Five running backs while his 2,201 total rushing yards are fourth. He’s also proven to be a capable receiver out of the backfield with 517 receiving yards over the last couple years (sixth among Power Five running backs). Ott will be the driving force for California’s offense as it makes its way into the ACC.

Ott’s ability to play running back and rush for over 1,000 yards in 2023 is quite impressive, but not as impressive as his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Being able to do both will not only help the Golden Bears and their offensive production this upcoming season, but it will help a future NFL franchise looking for their next all-around star back who can do it all.

Ott’s Collegiate Statistics: 

2022: 170 Carries for 897 Yards, 5.3 Average, 8 TDs | 46 Receptions for 321 Yards, 3 TDs

2023: 245 Carries for 1,305 Yards, 5.3 Average, 12 TDs | 26 Receptions for 196 Yards, 2 TDs

2024: TBD

The 6-foot 210-pound running back from California will be on every NFL team’s radar after this season completes. There is an expectation that Ott will have another solid season and reach greater heights.

He is an athlete on the rise and someone to watch for on August 31st when the Bears face off against UC Davis at 5:00 p.m.