Cal RB Jaydn Ott earns Freshman of the Week honors after record-setting debut
After topping the century mark in his first ever college game, there was no better choice for the Pac-12’s Freshman of the Week honor than California running back Jaydn Ott.
The first-year tailback was selected as the Pac-12’s freshman honoree for the league’s Week 1 performance awards, announced on Tuesday. Ott put up 104 yards and a score on 17 carries in Cal’s 34-13 win over UC Davis on Saturday.
#Pac12FB Freshman of the Week, presented by @Nextiva: Jaydn Ott. 🐻
Full release ➡️ https://t.co/G9VjtAVwRF#GoBears | @CalFootball pic.twitter.com/hNoGeEZL59
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 6, 2022
In topping the century mark on the ground, Ott became the first Cal player to do so in his debut game since Shane Vereen ran for 101 yards in a season-opening win over Michigan State back in 2008.
His 130 yards from scrimmage — Ott had two receptions for 26 yards in addition to his rushing — were the most by a player in his Cal debut since Keenan Allen had 158 yards from scrimmage (38 rushing, 120 receiving) in his Cal debut against UC Davis in 2010.
Ott was a 4-star running back out of the 2022 cycle. In Cal’s opener, he led the team in carries, with DeCarlos Brooks seeing eight rushing attempts and Damien Moore getting three. The Golden Bears are back in action on Saturday against UNLV at home. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network.