UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) lines up for a drill during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
Beginning to entertain thoughts of playing at the next level as he worked through the final stretch of his redshirt junior season last year, UTSA’s Owen Pewee started to ponder a position change.
Since signing with the Roadrunners out of Cypress Park in the 2022 recruiting class as the highest-rated player in the 247Sports composite to ever join the program, Pewee had manned the money linebacker position that plays like a hybrid between slot corner and edge rusher.
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By his redshirt sophomore year, he became a standout, emerging as the youngest player on the defense to be voted into a single-digit jersey as a peak representation of the program’s culture. He was promoted to jersey No. 2 last season, earning one of the coveted digits in San Antonio’s 210 area code.
But even as he carved out a steady role, Pewee sensed that he didn’t naturally move like a defensive back. He felt more comfortable when he was playing downhill and attacking the line of scrimmage.
Pewee began to see himself as a better fit at inside linebacker, and UTSA put the change in action as the Roadrunners returned to the field for spring practice last week, sliding one of the leaders on an overhauled defense into a new position.
“I had my mind wrapped on it the whole time, and I know that’s what all the NFL scouts and stuff were questioning, whether I could play middle linebacker,” Pewee said. “So, I already had it in my mind that I was going to be a middle linebacker, so I could just move fluently.”
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Listed on UTSA’s roster at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Pewee said he’s bulked up to about 220 or 225 pounds, preparing to handle the physical toll of playing on the inside.
So far, Pewee said the only challenge has been finding which gap he needs to plug against the run, learning to see the offense from a different angle after years lined up on the edge.
With UTSA needing to replace last year’s starting inside linebackers Shad Banks and Kendrick Blackshire, coach Jeff Traylor supported Pewee’s decision to try his hand in a new role. While Pewee’s coverage skills are strong enough for the college level, Traylor said defending the pass as a nickel in the NFL might have been less natural.
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“The kid has the potential to be an NFL football player, and I think that’s the best spot for him to get there,” Traylor said. “It was kind of his idea, and I like it.”
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) puts on his helmet during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) punches at the ball during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) looks on during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) adjusts his helmet during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) looks on during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) runs with the ball during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) holds the ball during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) looks on during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) looks on during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) looks on during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) huddles with his teammates during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) puts on his helmet during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
UTSA Roadrunners Linebacker Owen Pewee (13) puts on his helmet during UTSA football spring practice in San Antonio, Texas, Monday, March, 23, 2026.
Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News
Playing more than 1,000 snaps across his three years at UTSA, Pewee stands as the most experienced player on the Roadrunners defense. But while Pewee has the “instant respect” of his teammates, Traylor said returning inside linebacker Brandon Tucker is more likely to emerge as the vocal anchor of the unit, better understanding the demands of the position.
Hoping to set an example through his play, Pewee said he’s focused on running off the field after practice drills and studying the playbook, understanding the need to put himself in the correct position before he can direct others. He’s also working on the vocal component, he said, feeling more comfortable and confident than when he started with the Roadrunners.
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“When I first came here, I was iffy about it, but now I’m like, ‘I want to lead,’” Pewee said. “I want to be out there and show the guys what I can do, and bring everybody along with me.”
Pewee was known more for a boisterous or comedic persona early in his career, with Traylor pointing to him as “one of the ones you’ve got to be extra entertaining to” during team meetings. But this year, even as he hears the same speeches his coach has recycled many times before, Pewee is “just locked in” with his pen and notebook while Traylor addresses the group, Traylor said.
Wanting his final campaign to be a step up from the 7-6 records UTSA has posted the past two seasons, Pewee said he enters his senior year with a sense of urgency.
“Way different. I just feel like I’ve got to pick it up more,” Pewee said. “I’m not trying to leave nothing behind. … It’s a lot more pressure on me than last year, for sure.”
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Pewee’s shift leaves UTSA with three primary options at the money backer position: junior Chris Bryson, senior Bryce Grays and incoming junior college transfer Archie Chambers.
Bryson, a Brandeis product, and Grays both played rotational roles last year, while Chambers arrives as the No. 1 JUCO linebacker in the country, per the 247Sports composite ratings.
Senior Marcellus Wilkerson also rotated at the position the past three years, but a knee injury in the First Responder Bowl will keep him sidelined through 2026, Traylor said. Even before the setback, Wilkerson had been targeted for a shift to safety, underscoring Traylor’s confidence in the rest of the money backer unit.
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“With the injury to Marcellus, we still stuck to our guns and moved Pewee,” Traylor said. “We feel that good.”