Something changed this week inside the Joe Craft Center — and it wasn’t on the schedule.
What started as just another summer workout turned into something far more intense. According to multiple team insiders, the moment came when a few players — one returning leader and two under-the-radar newcomers — turned up the competitive heat during a live-scrimmage drill that was supposed to be routine.
Instead? It got loud. It got physical. And more importantly… it got real.
Mark Pope, known for his energy and positivity, reportedly paused the session not to cool things down — but to let it keep boiling. One assistant was overheard saying, “That’s the kind of edge we’ve been waiting for.”
The turning point? A sequence involving a fearless freshman diving on the floor, a transfer standing his ground, and a returning Wildcat who’s been through the fire — and let everyone know it.
That Wildcat? Otega Oweh.
Word is, he lit the gym up with his voice, his intensity, and his refusal to let the team coast through a summer day. One moment he was clapping in a younger player’s face after a stop. The next, he was demanding accountability from the entire unit.
One observer said the entire team’s energy flipped after that moment — like a switch had been hit.
> “It felt like the team went from a summer group to a program with real purpose,” said one source close to the coaching staff.
Don’t let the lack of cameras fool you — behind the scenes, something is building. Something unexpected. And it’s clear now that Coach Pope likes what he’s seeing.
In fact, one staffer put it bluntly:
> “The rotation we thought we had? It’s getting rewritten. Real-time.”
So while the fans debate depth charts, the players are battling for roles. And after what Oweh just sparked at practice, he’s no longer just a returnee — he might be the tone-setter.
