An $800,000 payday for just 68 rushing yards. That was Jadyn Ott’s controversial legacy at Oklahoma. Now, he’s getting a second chance in the NFL, but it comes with a catch: the same coach who benched him is now in charge of his position group.

According to reports, OU RB Jadyn Ott has finally signed as a free agent for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have taken Houston corner Zelmar Vedder, Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa, and Miami LB Bissainthe Wesley, among others. Signing Jadyn Ott is also interesting since OU’s former RBs coach, DeMarco Murray, is now the RBs coach at the franchise.

Murray was OU’s RB coach for five years before leaving the program after the 2025 season. He was the one who brought Jadyn Ott to Norman, hoping that he would replicate his 1,305-yard 2023 season at Cal for Oklahoma. The program even handed Ott a reported $800,000 NIL deal. However, that decision was considered a major miscalculation, considering Ott never delivered for OU’s offense.

During his lone year with the team in 2025, Ott dealt with several injuries, disrupting his preparation. He suffered a shoulder injury in fall camp, which slowed his acclimation to Ben Arbuckle’s offense. There were also reports that Ott was carrying a lingering Grade 3 ankle sprain from his Cal tenure, which, according to the RB, was “mishandled” at his former program.

“Last year was a little bit mishandled,” Ott said about his 2024 season with Cal. “I probably should have sat out a couple of weeks and been better off for the rest of the season. But my mindset was wanting to play and be there for my team, especially being a leader at Cal, I wanted to be there for my guys. But I definitely could have handled that a little differently, looking back.”

Even after factoring in the injuries, Ott’s tenure was marked by perceived dissatisfaction within the Sooners. Because Ott arrived in late April, he missed much of the spring games and fell behind even some freshman players in learning the offense. There were reporting about him not “practicing well” and “appearing slow” or being hesitant during limited-action practices. Fans speculated that he was trying to preserve his NFL draft stock, as he was “afraid of getting hurt.”

“Ott took his $800,000 in NIL money and ran at OU last season, playing sparingly and refusing pretty much to buy in to what the Sooners’ coaching staff wanted out of him,” Scott Puryear, the Starting Lineup radio show host, wrote on X today. “Making his name ‘mud’ with OU fans for the way he swindled the Sooners out of that much $$.”

When Ott refused to “buy into” schemes, other younger players, including Jovantae Barnes, Tory Blaylock, and Xavier Robinson, quickly rose above him and sealed those starting spots. In what should have been a breakthrough season for the 5’11 and 208 lbs RB, he was limited to just 68 rushing yards. Not just that, the coaching hierarchy’s dissatisfaction with him was also visible in games, where he made sporadic appearances.

Jadyn Ott opens up on his difficult Oklahoma tenure

Ott made his Oklahoma debut against Illinois State, as everyone expected him to run riot on defense. Except that he played just four snaps and had a single carry for negative 3 yards. Subsequently, against Texas, in a heated Red River Rivalry game, he dropped a screen pass and looked immediately at the sidelines. Brent Venables quickly subbed him off. Because of the lack of appearances, his draft stock fell, but he addressed everything at his Oklahoma Pro Day.

“Being a competitor, it was very difficult,” Ott said, speaking to the local media. “But honestly, by the grace of God, just coming in every day, it took a lot, mentally. Had to start off my mornings with devotions, get myself into the right headspace, and then definitely end the night on it. But being around this team, and the guys on it on Team 131, it was a pleasure being around like-minded guys who had the same passion as me. It was fun.”

Nevertheless, Jadyn had a standout Pro Day outing as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds. He also recorded a 40.5-inch vertical jump and had a 4.31-second time in the 20-yard shuttle. Finally, he had a 10’11” broad jump along with a 7.19 in the three-cone drill. Now, at the Kansas City Chiefs, he faces the same RB coach under whom he couldn’t quite make it as a starting RB at Oklahoma. Or probably, this time, DeMarco Murray finally plans something with him.