Jaydn Ott's 104 Rushing Yards Most By A Cal Freshman in His Debut in 21st Century
We don’t know where Jaydn Ott goes from here.
But we know what he did Saturday in Cal’s 34-13 victory over UC Davis, and dating back to the start of this century it was the most productive rushing performance by a Golden Bears freshman in his debut game.
Ott, a 6-foot, 205-pounder from Chino, Calif., rushed 17 times for 104 yards, while also catching two passes for 28 yards and a touchdown.
Since the calendar turned to the 21st century, no Cal back in his first game as a freshman has rushed for as many yards. Not Marshawn Lynch. Not Jahvid Best. Not Justin Forsett.
Not even Shane Vereen, who came closest when he ran for 101 yards against Michigan State in 2008.
Those players all went on to great things — all reached the NFL, in fact.
We have no idea if that’s in Ott’s future and we won’t saddle him with expectations based on one game against a FCS opponent.
But Ott certainly was very good against the Aggies, to the surprise of pretty much no one on the Cal locker room. Especially Ott.
Likewise, senior quarterback Jack Plummer, in his debut as a transfer from Purdue, said the Bears have seen glimpses of this from Ott since both players arrived before the start of spring practice.
One of the most impressive aspects of Ott's game was that in 17 carries he was never stopped for a loss of yardage or even for no gain. In fact, he had just one attempt that netted as few as 2 yards, with 11 of his 17 carries going for 4 yards or more.
Cal's offensive line, of course, should get a chunk of credit for that, but Ott's performance was notable for his ability to gain yardage when the opening didn't appear to be there.
In the video above, Cal wide receivers J.Michael Sturdivant, left, and Jeremiah Hunter sing the praises of the rookie running back. Sturdivant referenced the energy the Bears saw in Ott the day he arrived at spring ball.
Those two had a pretty good outing as well, totaling 10 catches for 133 yards.
Sixth-year safety Daniel Scott, talking in the video above, has been taken by Ott's maturity and work ethic and is confident those two qualities will continue to serve him well.
How good can Ott become?
"The sky's the limit for him" Scott suggested.
CAL FRESHMEN IN THEIR DEBUT GAME IN THE 21st CENTURY
— Joe Igber: Rushed 26 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ 24-21 win over Utah on Sept. 9, 2000.
— Justin Forsett: Rushed seven times for 34 yards and a TD in a 56-14 win at Air Force on Sept. 4, 2004.
— Marshawn Lynch: Rushed 12 times for 74 yards without a TD in a 74-12 loss at Tennessee on Sept. 2, 2006.
— Jahvid Best: Rushed four times for 46 yards without a TD in a 45-31 win over Tennessee.
— Shane Vereen: Rushed nine times for 101 yards and a TD as Cal claimed a 38-31 win over Michigan State on Aug. 30, 2008.
— Jaydn Ott: Rushed 17 times for 104 yards and caught a touchdown in a 34-14 win over UC Davis on Sept. 3, 2022.
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MO IOSEFA UPDATE: Wilcox said after the game that junior inside linebacker Muelu "Mo" Iosefa will miss the first two games this season, per a university decision. Wilcox did not provide specifics.
"It's a university decision and the standards Mo needs to live up to for the university, and we support that," Wilcox said. "We look forward to having him back for Week 3."
Iosefa's name was not on the game-day roster.
The native of Hawaii, who was third on the team with 55 tackles last season, is scheduled to return to practice in Week 3, in advance of Cal's trip to play at Notre Dame on Sept. 17.
Cover photo of Jaydn Ott by Darren Yamashita, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
