How Olusegun Oluwatimi got up to speed so quickly at Michigan

Michigan Wolverines football bolstered its 2022 offensive line by adding center Olusegun Oluwatimi via the transfer portal. Oluwatimi, a graduate from Virginia, was a finalist for the Rimington Award last season, which is handed out to the nation’s top player at his position.

He committed to Michigan in December, just before the College Football Playoff, and enrolled in January. By the time the Wolverines started spring ball in late February, he knew a stunning amount of the play book for a newcomer.

“When he came here it was like he’s been here for four years already,” co-offensive coordinator and line coach Sherrone Moore said. “He’s an outstanding young man on and off the field, great human being, but he’s an outstanding player.”

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Oluwatimi didn’t have any sort of trick to figuring out Michigan’s scheme so quickly. It took hard work — time on task and effort — but he was determined.

“It took a lot of time,” Oluwatimi said. “Grant Newsome, he helped me a lot because at that time he was still a grad assistant instead of a tight ends coach and he didn’t have to be on the road and recruit. Coach Moore a little bit, but he was on the road recruiting. Nick, who was one of our student coaches. They all taught me the signals, we watched film, broke down the play book. I had a good enough grasp to go into spring ball and be able to play.”

Virginia ran the air-raid offense when Oluwatimi was there, which meant there wasn’t as much on his plate as the team’s center. At Michigan, he’s asked to recognize fronts and even coverages, communicate more and execute different types of blocks.

“We run with a lot of tight ends and we’ve got to communicate the points and different things,” Oluwatimi said of the Michigan offense. “Us being a run-first offense, it’s put more on my plate, but I definitely think it’s good for my development.”

He feels the offense and what he’ll put on tape this fall will help him be a more attractive prospect for the NFL, but that wasn’t the sole reason why he chose the Wolverines.

“I definitely think the style of play that Michigan football plays is more translatable to the NFL,” Oluwatimi explained. “That did go into my decision — that was part of it, but that wasn’t all of it, because at the end of the day, I’ve got to live in the moment. I can’t be worried about next year.”

The toughest thing for Oluwatimi to do was build chemistry with his Michigan linemates. The Wolverines had great cohesiveness last season, but every group is different, especially when it includes one who simply hasn’t had years and years of reps with the rest of the crew.

“I feel like more of a challenge is meshing with the guys,” Oluwatimi said. “As offensive linemen, it’s not just you. I’ve got my right guard, my left guard next to me. Being able to try to feel them out … and a lot of this game, to be good at offensive line, is anticipation. If a blitzer is coming, being able to leave a second earlier and trust that your guard is going to be there.

“Being able to figure that out with the guys around me, I feel like that was more of a challenge than learning the play book.”

Olusegun Oluwatimi standing out as Michigan leader

Despite him arriving less than a year ago, several of his Michigan teammates have pegged Oluwatimi as a team leader. That says a lot about what he’s done in such a short period of time.

“Was it a goal of mine? I wouldn’t say it was in the back of my mind like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to be a leader when I get here,'” Oluwatimi explained of his mindset. “No, I just wanted to fit in, and the team was very accepting.

“At the end of the day, I was just myself. So at first, when you first get to a place, you can’t say too much; you’ve got to let your actions speak. And as I got more and more comfortable, I started opening up my mouth more.”

A lot of Michigan’s motivation for this season stems from winning the Big Ten in 2021 but falling short of taking home the national title in the College Football Playoff. Oluwatimi didn’t go through that experience with the Wolverines, but he’s a competitor and wants, as much as anybody, to put the Maize and Blue on top.

“First, I feel like Michigan football has a standard of winning, so me coming here I have to match that standard and try to exceed it,” Oluwatimi noted. “From that standpoint, I want to win. And then also, me just being a competitor, I don’t want to play this game and be a loser. I want to win every game on our schedule and win a national championship.

“Last year is last year, and the guys that were here last year, they’re going to pull on those experiences to bring everybody with them this year. I wasn’t a part of that, but I’m definitely going to do my part to help us win.”