In the one offseason where the Kansas City Chiefs finally made the moves they've needed for so long in the backfield, it's going to be harder than ever for Jaydn Ott to make any sort of meaningful impact in the preseason. But he's already gotten as far as the 90-man roster, and it's not as if he's an unknown quantity by those on the inside.
Ott signed with Kansas City after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft. As a rookie free agent, he faces long odds of making the team at all—and even more so after the Chiefs underwent a significant overhaul of the backfield—but it helps that he comes from the same stomping grounds as his new position coach in K.C.
The Chiefs hired Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray to replace Todd Pinkston as running backs coach this spring, which works in Ott's favor considering he spent the last year with the Sooners.
So what does Ott bring to the table? The 5-11, 198 lb. running back put up some very strong production with Cal back in 2023 but a rather ugly injury history kept him from repeating those numbers with Oklahoma and, consequently, he was passed over in the draft.
Ott made an immediate impact at Cal as a freshman after rushing for 897 yards and 8 touchdowns on 170 carries while adding 321 receiving yards and 3 scores through the air. His sophomore season was a true breakout effort, with 245 carries for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns. That year, he added 25 receptions for 169 yards and 2 scores, not to mention the 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Unfortunately, Ott's story took an unfortunate turn in 2024. A high ankle sprain sustained in the season opener against UC-Davis slowed Ott throughout the year, and he finished with 385 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 116 attempts. He transferred to Oklahoma, but a shoulder injury heading into 2025 limited him to just 78 yards from scrimmage for the entire season.
Now, Ott is hoping that Murray's familiarity, along with his previous production and special teams value, is enough to earn a real opportunity in St. Joseph as the Chiefs hit training camp later this summer. Texas A&M's E.J. Smith joins him as the only undrafted players on the roster, but both players are looking up at a brand-new depth chart featuring Kenneth Walker III, Emari Demercado, and Emmett Johnson.
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