Jaydn Ott, RB, Oklahoma
Size:
Height: 5’10” (v) | Weight: 205 lbs (v)
Accomplishments:
All-ACC Preseason First Team (2024) • First-team All-Pac-12 (2023) • Freshman All-American (2022)
“Jaydn Ott is a highly explosive ball-carrier with the speed and playmaking ability that showcase a potential future RB1 within an NFL backfield.”
Strengths:
Explosiveness
Game-changing speed
Footwork inside the tackles
Acceleration
Lateral agility
Concerns:
Will look to bounce runs if initial alley is occupied
Contact balance
Limited involvement in passing game
Lacks ideal mass to earn extra yards in short-yardage situations
Film Analysis:
Jaydn Ott is a highly explosive ball-carrier with the speed and playmaking ability that showcase a potential future RB1 within an NFL backfield. Ott operates in a primary gap-heavy run attack, where his touches come as the secondary point in shotgun.
Ott operates at the mesh point with varying tendencies. He can accelerate quickly toward the line of scrimmage but also has displayed excellent patience to allow blocks to develop up front. His elite trait lies in his explosiveness and ability to shoot through the alley at high rates of speed. Elite foot turnover to work from 0-60 in the blink of an eye. Scheme has prioritized his ability to get north-south inside the tackles. Still, Ott has shown the ability to stretch occasional zone run looks to the perimeter, only to cut and work vertically quickly.
Lateral agility is present, and Ott does a nice job of maintaining balance when his feet leave the ground to quickly accelerate after a move. Rarely gets overextended in his cuts and angles, and does not have to waste movement by using gather steps to gain balance. Ott displays the toughness and physicality to run through arm tackles, but his contact balance and overall muscle mass remain average at this point in his evaluation. He has room to get stronger, and playing with a lower center of gravity and behind his pads at a higher rate will assist in falling forward after contact.
In the open field, Ott is lightning in a bottle. Should he be able to escape the line of scrimmage untouched, it’s difficult to chase him down (three TDs vs. USC). Can outrun pursuit angles and has a gliding type of speed that easily pulls away from secondary defenders. Ott’s burst is a nightmare to counter for secondaries, as a miss in the open field in one-on-one situations often leads to Ott in the end zone.
In space, Ott’s game has room to evolve. Accrued 33 targets in 2023 working within a limited route tree (flat routes, wheels, stabs, returns) shallow to the line of scrimmage. Would like to see him flexed out in space at a higher rate which would further increase his profile as a playmaker in multiple facets. Speed alone as a ball-carrier will force teams to add lighter bodies onto the field, but his ability to flex out and earn targets at depth would force teams to pick their poison when attempting to limit his impact.
Concerns remain about his willingness to bounce runs when alleys are initially occupied—remaining patient to maintain his rush lane is something to improve on. Ott currently has the acceleration and speed to outrun collegiate defenders, but that’s something that won’t work consistently at the next level. Totaled 833 yards after contact last fall (led the Pac-12), but Ott can run into issues against more advanced tacklers and when met with bodies head-on. Playing with a lower pad level and through his lower half will assist in that facet.
Overall, Ott is a dynamic playmaker with immense production and experience as a lead ball-carrier. Speed and explosion remain his elite traits, and teams in need of a playmaker at the position are expected to prioritize Ott early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Winning Starter
Written by: Ryan Fowler
