Olusegun Oluwatimi 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Michigan IOL
Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
6’3”, 310 pounds; RS SR
Outside the top-3000 overall recruits in 2017, Oluwatimi spent a year at Air Force without appearing in any games. He had to sit out the following season as a transfer before starting his collegiate football career at Virginia. Across the next three years, he started all but one of 35 games, earning second-team All-ACC accolades in the last of those campaigns. Olu decided to transfer once more for his redshirt senior season with Michigan, where he won the Outland Trophy for the best interior offensive lineman and the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.
+ At Virginia in 2021, Olu earned a 90.2 run-blocking grade – best mark among any returning centers
+ Was utilized in a diverse run scheme at Michigan last season, where he was asked to block down, reach-block shades, kick out and on long-pulls
+ Can dig one-techniques out of those A-gaps on gap-scheme runs, and the Wolverines pulled their guards quite a bit, because the guy at the pivot was able to gain ground laterally to pin three-techniques away from the play
+ Has that strong backside hand on (inside) zone runs, as defenders try to stay square, to be able to push them to the play-side gap and create cutback opportunities as he moves them down the line
+ Features the grip strength and dexterity to turn bodies and create running lanes later into plays on true solo-blocks with zero-techniques
+ When backside A-gap defenders want to shoot upfield, Olu will gladly ride them away from the action
+ Brings plenty of thump to jack up edge defenders pulling on kick-outs or wrapping around to linebackers on power concepts
+ Does a great job of delivering a bump for his guards to secure the down-linemen while keeping his shoulders square and not allowing guys behind it to shoot the gap
+ Stays balanced when climbing up and has that broad frame to cover up bodies on the second level and give ball-carriers almost a two-way go behind him
+ Oluwatemi was a major addition for the Wolverines, thanks in part to the way he kept those A-gaps clean in pass-protection, providing a helping hand and instantly recognizing when to redirect the other way
+ Gets that first foot down almost simultaneously with the snap, takes care of his slide assignment, and packs plenty of shock in his hands when he lands his initial punch, to stand up defenders
+ Keeps rushers tight to his chest and is working to have both hands inside their frame after they get knocked away momentarily
+ Operates from a wide base and rarely allows big D-tackles to push him into the depths of the pocket, being able to hunker down
+ Typically has no issues with interior rushers trying to dip underneath him, being able to stymie their charge and guide them off track when trying to go wide
+ Does a great job of using the momentum of pass-rushers against them as they stunt across his face and he’s able to put them on the turf
+ His contact balance is a definite plus, to not land on the turf, as multiple bodies crash into him from the side
+ Generally understands when his hands get outside the frame of defenders and when to let go, at times putting them up late, to show he isn’t holding
+ Didn’t allow a single sack and just nine total pressures across 410 pass-blocking snaps last season
– I don’t think this guy is the most natural bender of his knees and you see him play top-heavy quite a bit
– Not somebody who just explodes off the ball and moves guys against their well with a violent demeanor
– When you ask Olu to get on his horse and cut off backside linebackers, he lacks that burst to beat them to the spot consistently, and generally gets too far over his toes trying to secure blocks in space – more of a phonebooth type of guy
– His grip strength allows him to get the job done mostly in pass-pro, but he does rely heavily on leaning into guys and riding them off track, rather than being able to sit back and mirror quick interior rushers – and he has shockingly tiny 8 and 5/8-inch hands
– Due to all the half-man slides at Michigan, we rarely saw him isolated with more dynamic second-level rushers, where I think he may have some struggles staying square to them
Other than eventual Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at USC, you could argue that Oluwatimi was the most impactful transfer in college football this past season. He anchored an offense that averaged 238 rushing yards and the sixth-most points per game in the country (40.4), during an undefeated Big-Ten season. He isn’t the most mobile center and tends to play rather top-heavy, but I don’t think there’s much bad of note on his tape otherwise. Olu’s calling card is his feel for the game and how under control he is at pretty much all times. Looking at the grades by PFF, he was by far his worst on what they label “true pass-sets” (61.2) and I would be a bit worried if he’s left on an island against twitchy interior rushers a whole lot, but he’s ready to be an excellent run-blocker and makes sure the interior of the pocket stays firm.
Grade: Late third/early fourth round
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