Out with the old, in with the new.
The 2023 UTSA football offseason will see the departure of key veterans who have been mainstays at their positions for years, such as seventh-year quarterback Frank Harris. With players set to graduate or transfer this upcoming spring, who will step up and fill that void?
Here are five players who will take on bigger roles next football season.
- Owen Peewee, linebacker
Peewee is a redshirt freshman out of Katy, Texas, who played over 200 snaps in 2023. Totaling 18 tackles, one interception and one touchdown, Peewee was used in a variety of ways by defensive coordinator Jess Loepp. Despite being listed as a linebacker, Peewee saw most of his snaps at slot corner. As the year went on, his playing time increased, as did his coverage skills. Expect him to take on a similar role that Dadrian Taylor held during his time at UTSA.
- David Amador, wide receiver
Amador saw the field in 11 games for the Roadrunners in 2023, though had little playing time. Amador finished the season with 10 catches for 83 yards and zero touchdowns. His impact was insignificant due to UTSA’s depth at wide receiver. With the departures of Joshua Cephus and Tykee-Ogle Kellogg coming this offseason, Amador will likely compete to land that wide receiver two roles, just behind Devin McCuin.
- Ayomikun Daniel Ogundipe, offensive line
Ogundipe came to UTSA from Iowa Central Community College ranked as a four-star recruit by 24/7 sports. Although he did not see any playing time in 2023, that was likely due to the amount of seniors on the interior of the offensive line at UTSA. With those seniors likely gone in 2024, expect him to plug in and have a large impact.
- Devin McCuin, wide receiver
McCuin is well known amongst UTSA fans by now due to his stellar play as a true freshman in 2023. McCuin was third on the team in receiving yards with 518, while also notching three touchdowns. He possesses good size and speed for his age, making him both a big play and jump-ball threat. By year three we might be viewing him as one of the best receivers in program history, his ceiling is extremely high.
- Owen McCown, quarterback
Replacing Frank Harris is a tall task, but based on what we saw in 2023, McCown has all the skills to do so. McCown saw his first snaps in a blowout loss to Tennessee, where he brought life to an otherwise stagnant UTSA offense. 2022 was not easy for McCown, being the quarterback for the 1-11 Colorado Buffaloes, he took a lot of heat. Now with a fresh start in San Antonio, McCown will have the opportunity to prove he belongs.
