Senior right guard Michael Onwenu is slimmer and trimmer heading into his final season for the Wolverines.
Nearing the end of spring practice, Onwenu has dropped around 25 pounds since his freshman season and is looking to build off his selection to the third-team All-Big Ten in 2018 by the coaches.
“He’s leaner, he’s quicker,” Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner said. “Oh my gosh is he moving. Playing better with his hands. Understanding little details. Practicing better. It all starts with his attention to detail in meetings. He’s improved in every area. Wow is he talented. His ceiling is so high. [He] can be unstoppable.”
Onwenu is putting his game together at an opportune time.
As part of an offensive line that brings back four out of five starters, he is an experienced cog of the group as he has started in 21 games in his career. He’s become a stalwart at the right guard position, but he wants to step up his play knowing his time playing college football is nearing its end.
“I think it is more so a maturity level,” Onwenu said. “I played my freshman year and I played my sophomore year, but I was just filling a role. Now it’s like, this is my position. I’m a little more comfortable.”
With a new found ease, he is taking accountability for his conditioning and his play.
“He took this winter completely to a whole new level,” junior center Cesar Ruiz said. “The way he’s playing, Mike’s turning heads. I watch him do one-on-one pass rush or when me and him do combination blocks all the time, which we’ve always been good at it, but we both have that extra fire on it.
“I see him do one-on-ones and he moves so well for a guy that size. You see a guy that size, you don’t think he moves that well. He’s like a ballerina.”
In order to be able to move like that, Onwenu has cut out of his diet red meat along with sweets. Instead, he’s now eating a lot of chicken, rice and broccoli.
Along with his improved body, he’s also finding success in new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ offense. He said he is picking up things well and excelling in ways he had never before. As much as the new attack preaches speed in space, the system still needs a strong offensive line and Onwenu wants his unit to be the backbone of the team.
“The offensive line, we like to be held to a high standard,” he said. “If we’re third and two, third and three, we’re begging to run it. We’re supposed to be a powerhouse team.”
For Michigan to be a powerhouse team this season, Onwenu has to carry over his progress from this spring to the fall. He has transformed his physique and has adapted to the new offense, and has the potential to take his game to another level.
“Mike’s always been strong,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said on his podcast. “He’s always been strong. He can always move anybody that he’s up against. But he’s doing so many subtle things now.”
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