Jaydn Ott Named Preseason All-American

Running back Jaydn Ott's fourth-team All-American selection highlights seven Cal football players honored Tuesday on Phil Steele's 2024 preseason All-American and All-ACC teams.

Ott was joined by inside linebacker Cade Uluave and defensive back Craig Woodson as second-team All-ACC picks. Long snapper David Bird and punter Lachlan Wilson were third-team selections, while defensive back Marcus Harris and offensive lineman Sioape Vatikani garnered fourth-team honors.

Cal opens the 2024 season against UC Davis on Aug. 31 as part of the Golden Bears' slate in their first season as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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Below are notes on each of Cal's preseason All-American and All-ACC selections by Phil Steele with extended bios available by clicking on each of their names. 
David Bird – LS – 6-0 – 210 – So. – 2nd – Phoenix, AZ (Sandra Day O'Connor HS) … Third-Team All-ACC
– Played in all 13 games off the bench as a 2023 true freshman and made 59 snaps without being errant 
– Recorded two tackles
 
Marcus Harris – DB – 5-11 – 190 – R-Sr. – 6th – Portland, OR (Idaho/Oregon State/Grant HS) … Fourth-Team All-ACC
– Played in 40 games over three seasons at Idaho (2021-23) after spending his true freshman and COVID campaigns at Oregon State (2019-20)
– Compiled career totals of 154 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss (-14 yards), 0.5 sacks (-0 yards), six interceptions that he returned for 141 yards and two touchdowns, 35 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick for the Vandals
– A first-team FCS All-American (AP, Phil Steele, Stats Perform) and All-Big Sky selection as a 2023 junior when he registered 51 tackles, a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss (-9 yards), three interceptions including one that he returned 70 yards for a touchdown in a win at Northern Colorado, and 10 pass breakups for a team that finished 9-4 and reached the FCS quarterfinals for the first time since 1993

Jaydn Ott – RB – 6-0 – 210 – Jr. – 3rd – Chino, CA (Norco HS/Bishop Gorman HS) … Fourth-Team All-American, Second-Team All-ACC
– Begins the 2024 season ranked second among all active FBS players with an average of 92.2 rushing yards per game, while his 119.58 all-purpose yards per contest are fourth
– Has rushed for 2,212 yards and 20 touchdowns on 416 carries for an average of 5.3 yards per carry, while adding 71 receptions for 514 yards and five touchdowns, as well as three kick returns for 144 yards and one touchdown, 2,870 all-purpose yards, 2,726 yards from scrimmage, 26 total touchdowns, and with the addition of one successful two-point conversion a total of 158 points
– Has the second-most rushing yards through his first 24 games of any player in Cal history with J.J. Arrington (2,452, 2003-04) the only one with more
– Earned All-America (Phil Steele) and first-team All-12 selections to highlight a long list of honors as a 2023 sophomore when he led the Pac-12 and ranked among NCAA leaders in per-game averages for rushing yards (109.6, No. 9 NCAA) and all-purpose yards (135.67, No. 6 NCAA), in addition to total rushing yards (1,315, No. 14 NCAA)
– Earned All-True Freshman team honors (Pro Football Focus), as well as first-team (The Athletic) and second-team (College Football News) Freshman All-America honors as a 2022 rookie when he was second among all Pac-12 freshmen and ninth among freshmen nationally in rushing yards per game (74.8 ypg)
 
Cade Uluave – ILB – 6-1 – 240 – So. – 2nd – South Jordan, UT (Mountain Ridge HS) … Second-Team All-ACC
– Racked up the honors as a 2023 true freshman, highlighted by first-team Freshman All-America recognition from The Athletic, College Football News and the FWAA, as well as Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year from the league's coaches and Defensive Freshman of the Year by Super West Sports
– Played in all 13 games as a true freshman including the first six starts of his career, contributing 66 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-42 yards), 2.5 sacks (-26 yards), two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries that he returned for 51 yards and one of the team's three fumble returns for a touchdown, two interceptions that he returned for four yards and three pass breakups
– Led all Pac-12 freshmen and ranked among national freshmen leaders in tackles (No. 13 NCAA) and tackles per game (5.1, No. 15T NCAA)
 
Sioape Vatikani – OL – 6-4 – 330 – Jr. – 3rd – Reno, NV (Norco HS/Bishop Manogue Catholic HS) … Fourth-Team All-ACC
– Has played in 24 of 25 games possible since his arrival at Cal in 2022 with 20 starts including his first three as a 2022 freshman at left guard and his most recent 17 at right guard with the first six coming in the final six games of 2022 and the last 11 in 2023
– A key member of a 2023 offensive line that was given much of the credit for a rushing attack that averaged 172.8 yards per game, which was Cal's highest mark since 2012 while ranking fourth in the Pac-12 and 45th nationally
– On the 2023 watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player Of The Year Award
 
Lachlan Wilson – P – 6-3 – 195 – R-Sr. – 6th – Eaglemont, Australia (Tulsa/Xavier College) … Third-Team All-ACC
– Has played in each of the last 47 games possible over the past four seasons spanning three campaigns at Tulsa (2020-22) and one at Cal (2023) after redshirting as a true freshman at Tulsa in 2019
– Has registered a 44.3 yards per punt average on 213 punts that have traveled 9,446 yards including 61 of 50 or more yards
– Ranks among the nation's active career leaders in yards per punt (13th), punt yards (14th) and punts (18th)
– A second-team All-Pac-12 selection according to the league's coaches and Phil Steele, as well as a member of the final Ray Guy Award watch list as a 2023 junior at Cal when he played in all 13 games off the bench and registered a 44.5 yards per punt average that is seventh on Cal's all-time single-season list and for a career is currently the best in Cal history, while it was second in the Pac-12 and 23rd nationally in 2023
 
Craig Woodson – DB – 6-0 – 210 – R-Sr. – 6th – Grand Prairie, TX (South Grand Prairie HS) … Second-Team All-ACC
– Has played in 33 games with 27 starts since arriving at Cal as a true freshman in 2019 including each of the past 25 contests (every game possible during his 2022 sophomore and 2023 junior seasons) for the longest string of consecutive starts among the team's active players
– Has posted career totals of 175 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-15 yards), nine pass breakups, three interceptions that he has returned for 41 yards, including one that he brought back 39 yards for a touchdown as a 2022 sophomore against UC Davis, three forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries, and one blocked kick on a punt in the season opener as a 2020 redshirt freshman at UCLA
– A two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection of the league's coaches as a 2022 sophomore and 2023 junior, while he also earned fourth-team All-Pac-12 honors from Phil Steele in 2023
– One of Cal's two sixth-year seniors in 2024 who have spent their entire collegiate career with the Golden Bears along with fellow Texas native and defensive back Miles Williams
– Contributed career highs of 81 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss (-7 yards), two forced fumbles and four pass breakups, while also picking up one interception as a 2023 junior