You may win as a team and lose as a team in a sport like college football, but how can you not love Oklahoma landing Jaydn Ott in the spring transfer portal? The former California Golden Bears standout is making his way to Norman after spring practice. He joins a new-look Oklahoma offense headlined by former Washington State quarterback John Mateer and coordinated by Ben Arbuckle.
Oklahoma has been middling at best in the first three years of Brent Venables' tenure in Norman, but I would be lying to you if I was not impressed by how much they improved their offense. Venables is a defensive-minded coach and an elite recruiter. However, he has struggled to be the necessary CEO-type this program needs since coming over from Clemson. I think this is the year where it all happens.
With that in mind, here is how the Oklahoma running back depth chart looks with Ott coming aboard.
- Jaydn Ott (SR/TR)
- Jovantae Barnes (SR)
- Xavier Robinson (SO)
- Taylor Tatum (SO)
As for what the first -team offense looks like at OU for Ben Arbuckle, Ourlads has that for us as well.
- WR-X: Javonnie Gibson (RS JR/TR)
- WR-Z: Keontez Lewis (RS SR/TR)
- WR-Y: Deion Burks (RS SR/TR)
- LT: Logan Howland (RS SO)
- LG: Heath Ozaeta (RS SO)
- C: Troy Everett (RS SR/TR)
- RG: Febechi Nwaiwu (RS SR/TR)
- RT: Derek Simmons (RS SR/TR)
- TE: Carson Kent (RS JR/TR)
- QB: John Mateer (RS JR/RT)
- RB: Jaydn Ott (SR/TR)
As you can see, it is upperclassmen-laden, one featuring a ton of redshirts and transfer players.
Jaydn Ott joining Oklahoma Sooners makes them a serious dark horse
Why I've often shorted Oklahoma since coming over to the SEC had everything to do with two things: Venables' acumen as a Power Four head coach and the uptick in scheduling difficulty. Venables is an elite defensive coordinator, but that is no longer his role. Oklahoma was the best program in the old Big 12; now they are essentially Auburn with a brutal slate.
Oklahoma is tied with Florida for having the most difficult schedule in the country. The Sooners have teams like Alabama, Tennessee and Texas on it, but any of those teams could be had if OU has the horses to match them. Admittedly, I did not realize how impressive Oklahoma's offense looked on paper, and that was before they landed one of my favorite players in the portal in Ott. I can dig this!
To me, this will come down to offensive execution in Arbuckle's scheme, as well as the upperclassmen-laden team being mentally tough enough to navigate one of the hardest schedules in the country. With what Oklahoma has to go up against, the Sooners could conceivably make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff with a 9-3 mark much like the Florida Gators.
Ott was not as good as I thought he would be at Cal last year, but I am never selling my stock on him.