Cal football star Jaydn Ott pulls portal prank before Independence Bowl

SHREVEPORT, La. — No, the Texas Tech football team doesn't get the biggest break possible going into the Independence Bowl on Saturday night against California. The Red Raiders still have to defend Cal running back Jaydn Ott.

The FBS's seventh-leading rusher posted a video Friday morning on his social-media accounts, telling viewers he was having his name entered into the NCAA transfer portal. After letting Cal fans stew for a moment, he told them he was just kidding.

"The worst joke I've ever heard," Cal coach Justin Wilcox said with a smile during a pre-game press conference shortly afterward.

Tech and Cal play at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

Ott wears No. 1 and he's the No. 1 weapon for the Golden Bears, who won their last three regular-season games to get bowl eligible. He leads the Pac-12 with 1,260 yards rushing. He topped 150 yards rushing in five games and reached 80 yards in three others.

"I actually entered the transfer portal this morning, and then I jumped back in and pulled it out," he said during the press conference. "Nah, I'm playing. ... I posted that video saying how I was leaving, scaring people like this (media). Then I said I was just joking."

Ott posted "Thank you Cal" and a broken-heart emoji. Seated in a chair in the video, he thanked fans and coaches before saying he was exiting for the transfer portal and walking out of the camera view. Seconds later, the video changed from black-and-white to color, a grinning Ott popped back into the frame and said, "Naw, I'm playing. I'm fixing to stay." Then it cuts to highlights.

Ott's a 6-foot, 200-pound true sophomore who also leads the Pac-12 in all-purpose yards with 1,501. In two years, he's rushed for 2,157 yards and 19 touchdowns, caught 67 passes for 486 yards and five TDs and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

The latter came in Cal's most recent game, a 33-7 victory over UCLA. It was the first kick return of his college career.

"We felt like throughout the season, he was getting a lot of touches, and he did," Wilcox said. "We felt like that last game, there could be a chance for him based on their kicker, based on the number of possessions we thought we might see during the game, it'd be a great chance for him to get another touch. And sure enough, it was an explosive touch."

Taking to the technology: Cal, Texas Tech football teams eagerly deploy in-helmet communication

Dollars and events: How Texas Tech football budgets Independence Bowl trip using $1.056 million from Big 12

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Cal football star Jaydn Ott pulls portal prank before Independence Bowl