Auburn football news: Will Cal's starting RB Jaydn Ott play against the Tigers?

Before Cal and Auburn met at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, the jury was still out on whether Cal starting running back Jaydn Ott would play against the Tigers after he suffered an ankle injury in Cal's game against UC-Davis last weekend.

On Tuesday afternoon, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said Ott would “probably” participate in Saturday's game at Auburn.

When the Golden Bears finally entered Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium for pregame warmups on Saturday afternoon, Ott was dressed and in full force, suggesting that the star running back is well prepared for the game against the Tigers.

“He's a concern for us. He's one of the better tailbacks in the country, without a doubt,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said of Ott on Monday during his time on Auburn's Tiger Talk radio show. “We expect him to play, and he's one of the best backs in the country. We've got to tackle really well.”

When Auburn traveled to Cal last fall, Ott ran for 78 yards and scored the Golden Bears' only touchdown as the Tigers pulled away late to secure a 14-10 road victory.

Heading into his 2024 season, Ott ranked second among all FBS players with an average of more than 92 rushing yards per game. Ott was also named a preseason All-ACC First Teamer by Athlon Sports and ran for two touchdowns in Cal's season opener against UC-Davis last Saturday.