Jaydn Ott, RB Cal: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Ott was a four-star recruit from Norco High School in Norco, Calif. in the class of 2022

California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott produced more than 2,700 yards from scrimmage in the first two seasons of his college career. The All-Pac-12 selection is poised to enter the 2025 NFL Draft after the upcoming season and contend for a top 100 or early Day 3 pick.

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Jaydn Ott, RB Cal: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior running back from Chino, Calif.

Background: Ott was a four-star recruit from Norco High School in Norco, Calif. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 274 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 241 for Rivals, and No. 322 for On3.com. Ott was an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. He played his freshman and senior high school seasons at Norco and his sophomore and junior seasons at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev. Ott originally committed to Oregon before flipping to Cal. He rushed for 2,236 yards and 30 touchdowns on 265 carries in high school and caught 17 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown. Ott was the MaxPreps Big XIII League Back of the Year as a senior when he rushed for 1,140 yards and 17 touchdowns on only 114 carries while also making 11 receptions for 154 yards. As a freshman, Ott rushed for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns on 151 carries while making six receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. The performance earned him MaxPreps 2018 Second Team Freshmen All-American honors. Ott was born on Dec. 16, 2002.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2023 Idaho game after landing awkwardly on his back and head vs. Auburn the previous week, injured in the fourth quarter vs. USC and exited the game (2023)

Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12, 2022 First Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic), 2022 Honorable Mention Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, 2023 First Team All-Pac-12, 2023 Honorable Mention All-American (Phil Steele)

Pros: A little kick return experience, long arms for his frame, explosive leaping ability, patiently waits for a running lane to develop before hitting the accelerator, sharp one-cut ability, quick processing to execute sharp cuts in limited space, quick feet, good lower body control to redirect through small gaps, speed appeared better in 2023 than 2022, burst to quickly reach the defense’s third level, quickly erases linebacker pursuit angles, stresses the angles of safeties who step down in run defense, enough juice to bounce runs and turn the corner, spin move, active hands help swat away tackle attempts, steps away or through low tackle attempts, runs through arm tackles, churns legs through contact, significantly more receiving production in college than high school, good urgency getting into his routes, initial burst makes him a mismatch for linebackers in passing game, nice hands catcher, good adjustments to the ball

Cons: Limited special teams experience, lights up bad defenses, three fumbles in 2023, carries ball too far away from frame at times, not twitchy, frame is average, lean and narrow build might be a limiting factor between the tackles, stacked boxes are his enemy, not built for short yardage situations, upright running style, leggy running style in the open field, burst wears off quickly, lacks elite long speed, caught from behind by defenders, patient to a fault, struggles to escape tackle attempts in the backfield, bounced runs might not translate, somewhat passive approach to pass protection duties

Overview: Ott has limited special teams experience, but he did return a kick for a touchdown in 2023. He has long arms but a lean and narrow build that limits his power. Ott isn’t built to handle stacked boxes or generate consistent wins in short yardage situations. He is more smooth than twitchy as an athlete but does have explosive leaping ability to clear defenders or elevate over piles at the goal line. Ott earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors in 2023, but his season was carried by five games in which he had more than 150 rushing yards. Those matchups were Arizona State, North Texas (the worst run defense in FBS per ESPN), Stanford, USC (17th worst run defense in FBS), and Washington State. Ott also fumbled three times in 2023 because he carries the ball too far away from his frame. The California native patiently waits for running lanes to open before stepping on the gas. He showcases sharp one-cut ability to get North-South as soon as he sees the hole, and he’s a quick processor who can adjust to defenders in limited space to avoid tackles. Ott’s quick feet help him execute sudden cuts, and his lower body control is perfect for redirecting into small gaps. The junior doesn’t have high end long speed, but his speed looked better in 2023 than in 2022. His burst allows him to reach the defense’s third level quickly and erases the pursuit angles linebackers take. Safeties who step downhill to challenge Ott often find themselves in trail positions. Ott’s burst wears off quickly, but he has enough juice to bounce runs outside and turn the corner. He forces missed tackles with a spin move, by using his active hands to swat away tackle attempts, and running through arm tackles. The former four-star recruit keeps his legs churning through contact to pick up extra yardage. He was barely used as a pass catcher in high school but has taken on an active receiving role in college. Ott shows good urgency getting into his routes and has the initial burst to blow by linebackers in man coverage. He’s a nice hands catcher who makes good adjustments to the football. Ott has an upright and leggy running style. Defenders catch up to him after his burst wears off. He is patient to a fault behind the line of scrimmage at times, and the runs he bounces outside might not translate to the NFL. Ott’s approach to pass protection is passive.

Overall, Ott has impressive patience, footwork, and burst, but his lack of elite traits and developing frame make him a borderline top 100 selection. He will go through some growing pains in the NFL as he adapts to facing faster and stronger first and second level defenders. Ott’s next step is to work on developing his frame to handle more heavy defensive fronts.

Role & Scheme Fit: Rotational running back in a gap or outside zone scheme

Round Projection: Late Third to Mid Fourth Round

Size: 6'0", 200 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 03-09-24