Latest news with #Oweh
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky coach Mark Pope reveals emotional reaction to Otega Oweh return
The post Kentucky coach Mark Pope reveals emotional reaction to Otega Oweh return appeared first on ClutchPoints. Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball guard Otega Oweh could have stayed in the NBA Draft and played professionally next season. Instead, he's headed back to Lexington with All-American expectations, and no one was more excited about it than his head coach. Advertisement Oweh put Kentucky coach Mark Pope on the spot on Sunday, putting a mic and camera in front of his face and asking for his reaction when Oweh called to give him the good news. 'I was on a plane, and I don't understand why or how, but the call actually came through,' Pope began. 'Otega called me and said, 'Coach, let's do this. I'm coming back. I was looking around. I think the pilot was about to throw me out of the plane, so I was like, 'OTEGA! I got to call you back later! But just hold that thought!'' When Pope was back on the ground and managed to call Oweh back, he said, tears streamed down his face. Advertisement 'I knew a couple of things,' Pope continued. 'One, I know how excited you are and how much you want to go play in that league. I know it's the dream of a lifetime.' 'It's super humbling to see you do two things,' he added. 'One, how much you want to get better, and how committed you are to getting better. And secondly, to see how much you understand and appreciate what you have right now. That's special stuff. Now we're getting back to work.' 'There's no place I'd rather be,' Oweh replied. Oweh spent the first two years of his basketball career at Oklahoma before transferring to Kentucky for 2024-25. In his first season in Lexington, he averaged 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, shooting right around 50 percent from the field. Advertisement The second-team All-SEC selection helped guide the Wildcats to a 24-12 record and the program's first Sweet 16 appearance since 2019. Related: Flau'jae Johnson, Olivia Miles headline stacked USA Basketball roster Related: Duke basketball included in 1st-ever Dick Vitale Invitational vs. Texas
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky's Otega Oweh shrugs off new House settlement ruling
The post Kentucky's Otega Oweh shrugs off new House settlement ruling appeared first on ClutchPoints. In late May, Kentucky basketball standout Otega Oweh decided to forgo the NBA draft and return for his final season, much to the delight of coach Marc Pope, who cried when he got the news. Advertisement Not only is Oweh returning to Lexington, but he is also getting paid for it. Oweh, much like the NCAA, is coming to terms with the landmark House ruling allowing universities to directly pay college athletes for their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Among the particulars of the ruling are colleges sharing revenue with athletes, providing back pay to former athletes, eliminating scholarship limits, and establishing NIL oversight. When asked about it, Oweh couldn't care less, per Daniel Hager of All that matters to him is that he is getting paid to play college basketball. 'They're paying us,' Oweh responded with a laugh. 'That's it. That's a great thing for sure, but I don't really be keeping up with the settlement stuff like that. As long as we're getting paid, that's good for me. Anything extra, that's cool.' Advertisement In all, Oweh said that NIL hasn't drastically changed anything in the locker room. Oweh is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.2 points per game. Kentucky finished with a record of 24-12, including a 10-8 conference record. They made it to the Sweet 16 before losing 78-65 to Tennessee. As for Oweh, he has a projected NIL value of $385,000. As a result, this allowed him to put a hold on the NBA. Otega Oweh's NIL deals with Kentucky Although there are no specific details of NIL deals, the concept played a significant role in Oweh's stay in Kentucky. Recently, he rejected a $25 million NIL deal to play for the University of Louisville. To maximize his potential, Oweh formally established an Opendorse profile, an online platform that enables athletes to negotiate NIL and sponsorship deals. Advertisement Oweh is a product of an era in which there is a greater incentive for players to stay in college for all four years due to NIL. Related: Former Morehouse College coach joins in-conference rival Related: Mo Williams, Jackson State offer scholarship to son of NBA standout
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 Baltimore Ravens hidden gems on 2025 roster you need to know
The post 3 Baltimore Ravens hidden gems on 2025 roster you need to know appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Baltimore Ravens have yet to get over the hump that is stopping them from returning to the Super Bowl. Since winning the Lombardi trophy in 2012, the Ravens have made it to the AFC Championship game just one time, and they lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season, the Ravens fell short against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. Advertisement Despite their playoff shortcomings, the Ravens have been one of the best teams in the NFL. Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and Derrick Henry has proven to be ageless as he continues to run through defenders. Additionally, Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, Nate Wiggins, and Marlon Humphrey have led Baltimore to be one of the best defensive teams in football. Heading into the new season, the Ravens are looking to not only win their division and make the playoffs, but also get back to the Super Bowl. Baltimore could have a few more moves to make, but as it stands right now, the team is just as good as it was last season. Below are three hidden gems on the Ravens roster right now that a lot of football fans may not know about. Defensive Lineman Travis Jones Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Travis Jones is one of the better interior defensive linemen in the NFL. He was drafted back in 2022 in the third round of the NFL draft out of the University of Connecticut. He quickly made an impact for Baltimore, but he has yet to make a Pro Bowl. Advertisement Jones had a breakout year in 2024, though. He finished with a career-best 42 total tackles and a PFF grade of 69.9. The 6-foot-4 338 338-pound interior lineman had the 27th-best interior lineman PFF grade and the 13th-best run defense grade (72.0). He is going to stuff runners at the line and create chaos in the middle. The 25-year-old is entering his fourth season in the NFL, and he is poised for another great season. He has a lot of competition from other teams when it comes to the awards at the end of the year, but he is more than capable of becoming a top defensive lineman in football. Edge Rusher Odafe Oweh Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Oweh is coming off the best season of his young career. The 26-year-old was a first-round pick in 2021, but there he was not living up to the expectations. Before 2024, the most sacks he had in a season were five, and he was just not very consistent. Advertisement Last year, though, Oweh was able to show why he was such an early pick in the draft. The edge rusher had 10 sacks, 39 total tackles, a forced fumble, and 9.5 stuffs. Those stats gave him a PFF grade of 71.5, which ranked 31st among all edge rushers. With that, Oweh had the 25th-best pass rush PFF grade among all edge rushers. He seems to have found his stride as a pass rusher, and the Ravens are going to need him to have a repeat year if they want to beat the Bills or Chiefs in the playoffs. Linebacker Jake Hummel Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Hummel is one of those players who has not received a lot of playing time, but he has the talent. He went undrafted in 2022, but the Los Angeles Rams picked him up, and he was able to stick a little bit there. Advertisement Baltimore signed Hummel back in March, and they are hoping he can make an impact as a backup linebacker. Hummel will not get starting reps over Smith, but he could have a chance to get more playing time over Trenton Simpson. Hummel played in all 17 games last year, but he averaged just one tackle per game. Still, the 26-year-old finished with a PFF grade of 77.1. He did not get enough snaps to be ranked among linebackers, but it shows how well he played when given the chance. The linebacker is much better on run defense, but he is a capable pass defender. Hummel is definitely someone worth keeping an eye on as the season approaches.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ravens' Odafe Oweh Gaining Weight Ahead of Contract Year
Ravens' Odafe Oweh Gaining Weight Ahead of Contract Year originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Baltimore Ravens have one of the league's elite rosters, and that's in large part due to a first-round hot streak in recent seasons. Between safety Kyle Hamilton, receiver Zay Flowers, center Tyler Linderbaum, and corner Nate Wiggins, there is no shortage of star power coming from the first day of the Ravens' recent drafts. Advertisement Among them is edge rusher Odafe Oweh, who hasn't quite reached the peaks of his peers but has promising talent nonetheless. Coming off a 10-sack season and entering a contract year, Oweh is emerging as a difference-maker along the edge for Baltimore. With that said, Oweh has been deployed in a one-dimensional role to this point. He's played nearly three times as many snaps against the pass as the run. Now, Oweh is aiming to close that gap. The Ravens' edge rusher is bulking up for a pivotal 2025 season, telling the team's website that he gained 20 pounds of muscle. "[It will help in stopping] the run," Oweh said to Ryan Mink and Justin Robertson. "And then obviously, the top of my rush, not being able to be pushed off the point, digging out the rip. And then obviously [with] power as well." Advertisement Becoming more powerful could be what takes Oweh to the next level. More mass makes him harder to move, but it also makes his speed even more of a weapon, making his speed-to-power that much more impactful. Oweh has a lot to gain from becoming a complete player. With free agency looming on the other side of his 2025 campaign, hitting the market on a good note, with elite athleticism and first-round pedigree to boot, he stands to cash in. Yet, Oweh claims he was motivated by his 2024 campaign. "I didn't have the outing I wanted, so I thought a lot of that had to do with my weight and being able to be stout in certain positions," Oweh said. "So, as soon as the season was done, I went to Miami, started eating, lifting and then gaining weight, basically." Coming off the best season of his career, Oweh has high hopes for 2025. With Baltimore gearing up for a deep playoff run, each step could prove impactful. The edge rusher joked that the progress didn't come without sacrifice. Advertisement "It actually wasn't good food. It was a lot of nasty meal prep. But it did the job." Related: Ravens' Henry Promised Adam Sandler Movie with 2,000-Yard Season Related: Former Ravens Kicker To Sell Baltimore-Area Home This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A new-look Odafe Oweh steals the spotlight at Ravens OTAs
The last time we saw Odafe Oweh on the football field, he was closing the book on a phenomenal 2024 season. He had tallied 39 tackles, ten sacks, and a forced fumble for the Baltimore Ravens during the 17 games of an AFC North-winning campaign. He was impressive during the Wild Card Round, notching two tackles, a sack, and three additional QB hits vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers on 26 snaps. Unfortunately, he didn't play as well one week later. Advertisement He notched one tackle on 21 snaps vs. the Buffalo Bills during the Divisional Round, but most of Baltimore's roster didn't play up to their standards on that evening. Last January's loss to the Bills was deflating, but it was clear Oweh had taken another step. Four months later, he's back and seemingly looking to prove a point. A bulked-up Odafe Oweh has shown up to Ravens OTAs. OTAs aren't mandatory, but many of Baltimore's stars were in attendance for the second day of work. It's great to see everyone, as this feels like a team that has already bought into the goals of the coming season. Odafe Oweh was hard to miss. He has added some mass. He's gone from the 245-pound frame we saw last January to 265 pounds, but he still feels just as explosive. "(It will help in stopping) the run, and then, obviously, the top of my rush, not being able to be pushed off the point, digging out the rip. And then obviously [with] power as well." Thank the official team site for the quote. Those were the words of a reinvigorated Oweh, who still hasn't forgotten to use last year's disappointing loss as fuel. Advertisement "I didn't have the outing I wanted, so I thought a lot of that had to do with my weight and being able to be stout in certain positions. So, as soon as the season was done, I went to Miami, started eating, lifting, and then gaining weight, basically." Opposing offensive lines, beware. Oweh is on a mission, and he's bringing a ticked-off Ravens team with him. This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Odafe Oweh's new look is all the rage at Ravens OTAs
