Can Jaydn Ott put together a resurgent season for the Oklahoma Sooners?

The Oklahoma Sooners will be leaning heavily on quarterback John Mateer to lead them back to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019.

And more than that, it's about getting the Sooners' offense back on track after struggling through the 2024 season.

But Mateer won't, nay can't, have it all in his plate.

As much as football can often be defined by how well a quarterback plays, it takes so much more for a team to have success.

For Oklahoma's offense to be good in 2025, it's going to take a good ground game.

In 2024, the Sooners averaged just 3.9 yards per carry and 155.2 rushing yards per game, which was 11th in the SEC.

General manager Jim Nagy made a splash in the transfer portal by bringing in former 1,300-yard running back Jaydn Ott from Cal.

After an injury-laden season in 2024, Ott's looking for a bounce-back performance before he enters the NFL draft in 2025.

Now healthy, Ott will be a difference maker for the Oklahoma Sooners.

With so much attention being placed on Mateer and what he'll be able to do, Ott's presence may mean just as much.

Because of Mateer's ability to run the ball, teams will have to key in on him in the read-option game.

At the mesh point, the quarterback must decide whether to keep the ball or hand it to the running back, based on how the defense is reacting.

Because teams know Mateer can beat them with his legs, there will be better running lanes for Ott.

And that's where he can create big plays.He'll be a direct beneficiary of Mateer's dual-threat ability and the amount of attention he's received this offseason.

However, there will also be an inverse effect.

As Ott gets going, he'll open things up for Mateer in both the read-option game and the passing game.

Teams will also have to respect Ott's ability to create big plays on the ground.

In 2023, Ott had 16 runs of 15 yards or more and 32 runs of 10 yards or more.

By comparison, Gavin Sawchuk, Jovantae Barnes, Taylor Tatum, and Xavier Robinson combined for 31 runs of 10 yards or more and 14 runs of 15 yards or more.

Ott is an electric player who is going to have a huge impact on the Sooners' offense.

Mateer is what is driving a lot of the Oklahoma optimism that's palpable at SEC media days.

Jaydn Ott has a chance to have a big year in Ben Arbuckle's offense and with Mateer standing next to him in the backfield.

So much of college football has shifted to aerial attacks to lead the way for their offenses.

But with the defense that the Sooners deploy, Oklahoma will want to be able to run the ball to milk the clock and keep their defense fresh.

Ott's ability to carry a heavy portion of the workload and his experience are just what the doctor ordered for an offense that hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2022.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow John on X @john9williams.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma run game with Jaydn Ott will be dynamic.

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