University of Texas at San Antonio football quarterback Owen McCown, left, and linebacker Owen Pewee participate in a drill during the first preseason practice at the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence in San Antonio on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News)
Arriving in St. Petersburg, Fla., for American Conference media days in late July, UTSA linebacker Owen Pewee didn't take the stage for granted. Pewee was the Roadrunners' defensive representative for a second straight year, as he and quarterback Owen McCown were also tabbed for the role at last season's event in Charlotte, N.C. Pewee said he saw the responsibility as an honor, selected as the defensive player who coach Jeff Traylor most trusted to be the face and voice of UTSA's program. A week before the first preseason practice of his final year with the Roadrunners, Pewee stepped onto the ESPN+ set and shared his desire to leave a lasting impression. "A retired jersey - that type of legacy," Pewee said. "Just put it all out there, give it all I got. Not just for myself, but to all the fans, my family, showing everybody that I can do it, play with anybody in the world." If Pewee succeeds in becoming synonymous with a jersey number, he'll do so as No. 2, with his teammates voting him into one of the hallowed 2-1-0 digits of San Antonio's area code for a second straight season. Even as he moves into a new position at inside linebacker, Pewee has maintained his spot as one of the centerpieces of UTSA's defense, set to lead the unit into the 2026 opener against UTRGV at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Alamodome. "I'm just ready to go perform and just show people why I'm voted into the jersey," Pewee said. "The way I carry myself, I hold myself to a high standard. So, I know moving positions wouldn't really change nothing. I'm still going to do exactly what I was doing." READ MORE:Five players to watch after UTSA releases depth chart for 2026 opener For the past three years, that meant manning UTSA's money linebacker position, which plays as a hybrid between a safety, a slot corner and an outside linebacker. He's racked up 106 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, three sacks and three interceptions in his career, earning the respect of his teammates and being voted into a single-digit jersey the past two years. Traylor said the move to inside linebacker provides Pewee the best chance of reaching the NFL, where the pass coverage demands for a player in the secondary are much higher than at the college level. "I'm excited to watch this move, see how that looks for him," Traylor said. "He's really worked hard at it, and man, he's looked really good in practice."
University of Texas at San Antonio football quarterback Owen McCown, left, and linebacker Owen Pewee participate in a drill during the first preseason practice at the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence in San Antonio on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News)
Part of that process for Pewee was bulking up, as he said he weighed in the range of 200 to 205 pounds after UTSA's bowl game but enters 2026 around 215 or 220. Eating four or five meals per day - mostly pasta and steak, he said - Pewee made most of that increase during the spring, giving him time to grow accustomed to moving with the added size. "I'm starting to get used to my weight now," Pewee said. "When I first started putting on the weight, I was getting a little tired quicker. But, right now, I'm pretty good." Inside linebacker Brandon Tucker, a projected starter for the Roadrunners, said the mobility that Pewee brought from his previous position made him an instant standout on the interior. "He's so athletic, just to have that type of speed and that skillset he had being that outside linebacker, hybrid safety," Tucker said. "One of the biggest things that I've seen is the way he's able to deal with O-lineman, especially in the box, how he's able to slip and use his speed and use that extreme athleticism he has to get around them and make big plays." MORE UTSA:How Jeremiah Bailey earned a single-digit jersey as a newcomer at UTSA Pewee said the biggest adjustment to the new role was identifying his fits in the run game, reading the alignment of the offense to determine which gap he's responsible for. He said he grew more comfortable as he devoted extra time to studying video, and now he feels confident communicating those alignments through the defense. While Pewee has started to find a voice in the unit, Traylor said his leadership qualities are mostly nonverbal. "It's more the example of how he practices, how he leads," Traylor said. "I'm really proud of Owen Pewee, and the role he's taken, and him staying with us this entire time. ... He could've gone somewhere and made a lot more, and he stayed to play for us. We're grateful." The money backer spot that Pewee vacated will look a little different than anticipated this fall, as Traylor announced Wednesday that incoming junior college transfer Archie Chambers is no longer on the team. Chambers was ranked by 247Sports as the top junior college linebacker in the 2026 class, leading to expectations that he could have an instant impact at UTSA. Instead, the Roadrunners will lean on senior Bryce Grays and junior Chris Bryson, who were both rotational pieces at the position last year. "Those guys have done fantastic, so they've earned that," Traylor said. "There's nothing more I can say about that." Subscribe There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢. This article originally published at How Owen Pewee aims to define legacy in final year at UTSA.