"Big things are on the horizon" - WWE SmackDown Superstar reveals future after possible Otis heel turn

Otis shocked the WWE Universe during this week's episode of WWE SmackDown. He appeared to turn heel during the match against Rey and Dominik Mysterio. Now, Chad Gable has addressed the future of Otis and Alpha Academy following the heel turn.

The match ended when Gable refused to leave the ring and Otis unloaded on Mysterio in the corner. The match was called off, but Otis and Gable continued to punish the Mysterio family. Otis hit a splash off the ropes onto Rey, officially turning heel. Mysterio looked injured after he took two splashes.

In a backstage interview, Chad Gable said that there were only wins for Alpha Academy this week on WWE SmackDown. The team lost to the Mysterios, but Gable explained that Alpha Academy won the night. He claimed that he was really proud of Otis because he was finally listening to Gable's lessons. Gable went on to promise Otis that big things were on the horizon for Alpha Academy.

"Tonight was nothing but wins for the Academy. Did you see this guy out there? My prize student! Yeah! Wins. You're following direction, you're taking the coaching and the information I'm giving you, you're assimilating it, you're dissecting it in there, you're processing it. You know all these terms right? Otis, big things are on the horizon. Yes, we got championships to chase, to win, but we got training to do right now. I'm so proud of you."

EXCLUSIVE: @WWEGable sees championships in Alpha Academy's future. #SmackDown @otiswwe pic.twitter.com/dm7C7UpPgs

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) February 20, 2021

Alpha Academy has struggled to get on the same page since Otis aligned with Gable. Now that the former Money in the Bank winner has embraced his teacher's lessons, it seems like the team has a bright future on the blue brand.

Has Otis finally found a place for himself on the WWE main roster?

Otis on WWE SmackDown

Since Heavy Machinery was first called up to the main roster, Otis was the one who stood out to the fans. With his clever antics, he was over with the crowd in a matter of moments, and he has remained quite popular.

The romantic storyline he shared with Mandy Rose built up his popularity. But at the same time, he won the WWE Money in the Bank briefcase long before he was ready for it. WWE apparently decided the same thing because The Miz took the briefcase from Otis. Then, once Heavy Machinery split up, the creative team struggled to find a new direction for Otis.

The match is over. What are @otiswwe and @WWEGable doing?! @reymysterio is defenseless! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/05LohaYBH8

— WWE (@WWE) February 20, 2021

While his popularity dropped throughout the fall, it was clear he still had enough talent to be a valuable Superstar on the roster. He was paired with one of the most underrated current workers on the WWE roster, Chad Gable. This pairing appears to have worked wonders for Otis. The heel turn might be the final ingredient that Otis needs to build a proper character of his own.