Jaydn Ott Enjoys 'Nostalgic' Return to Berkeley for Cal's Pro Day

BERKELEY — He didn’t waste any time.

Former Cal star Jaydn Ott, who spent the 2025 season with Oklahoma, was back in Berkeley on Thursday to participate in the Bears’ Pro Day — and before any media could get a question in after the event, the 23-year-old running back shared an opening statement.

“First off, I'll just start by saying, thank you to Coach (Ron) Rivera and Coach Tosh (Lupoi) for letting me come through; it means a lot,” Ott said. I am an alumnus of this school. And so, it's good to be back, see a lot of my old teammates and be around the building with the guys.”

It is no secret that Ott’s departure from Cal last spring was imperfect; If anything, it was painful.

The now-2026 NFL Draft prospect was once the Bears’ homegrown face of the program, and that aura seemingly dissipated with each day Ott spent as a Sooner, particularly after he said, “I don’t know how to put it nicely,” when asked by Oklahoma media about the difference between each team.

But it seems Ott did a lot of reflecting, and perhaps even some maturing, during his year away from home.

“Being at Oklahoma, it was cool,” Ott said. “It was different. I was raised in California and stayed here pretty much my whole life. And so, it was cool to experience something else for a change. Things didn’t go as expected, but I learned a lot through it all, and it was good to be back out here.”

Things truly did not go as planned for Ott.

Over his one campaign with the Sooners, in which he reported to position coach and former NFL star DeMarco Murray, Ott appeared in just seven games and saw merely 23 touches for 78 yards with zero scores.

Ott was simply a loss of an acquisition in the eyes of Oklahoma fans, which remains a stunner after he collected 3,411 yards and 30 touchdowns from scrimmage over three seasons at Cal.

But on Thursday, it was as if Ott, once Berkeley royalty, had never left. He was smiling and laughing while doing drills and mingling with his former teammates, including star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

“It was nice,” Ott said about being back at California Memorial Stadium. “It was nostalgic, man. Looking up onto the hill and, you know, feeling the sun beat down on me on this field, it was great.”

“It was cool,” he added about working with Cal players. “I mean, I know a lot of the guys who were here doing their pro day. It was cool meeting some of the new guys as well — and throwing with Jaron, that's always fun. I got to play with him a little bit during spring ball in 2025.”

Ott said that he reached out to Cal about participating in the program’s Pro Day, and reiterated his gratitude for Rivera and Lupoi, among others, for welcoming him back.

And while his on-the-field interests were centered on improving two drills — the three-cone and 5-10-5 shuttle — that he didn’t excel at Oklahoma’s Pro Day last week, it was clear that Ott cherished the opportunity to hang out in Berkeley like old times.

“I'm still really close with a lot of the people here — especially on the staff,” Ott said. “These guys took care of me, and I'm in constant communication with them anyway. I just decided, ‘Hey, let me reach out and see if I can get better numbers in those two drills and then do some position work.”

Of course, Ott’s playing days have been over at Cal.

Like other Bears, such as defensive backs Hezekiah Masses and Paco Austin, Ott is now pushing to reach the next level and hopefully hear his name called during April’s 2026 NFL Draft.

“I'm putting it all in God's hands,” Ott said. “If I do, I do. If not, man, it's all good.”

But regardless, the former big man on the Berkeley campus will continue to keep tabs on the Bears. 

Ott shared his excitement for the Lupoi Era and also had a message for the Blue-and-Gold faithful.

“I'm excited for the whole team, man,” Ott said. “I think (Lupoi’s) going to be really good for the culture, for the team around here, and he's gonna take a big stride this year and then even more so in the next.”

“To the fans: I'm just happy to be back,” he added. “I appreciate all the support; even when I left, there was a lot of support from Cal fans, and it doesn't go unnoticed, and it means a lot.”

Ott was glad to be back with the Bears on Thursday.

And despite spending his last collegiate season with Oklahoma, Ott said he would "definitely” choose to represent Cal on Sunday Night Football, as a proud alumnus.