If you've missed any of The Wolverine's spring coverage, get caught up on everything at our Spring Ball Headquarters.
It’s going to be a different story this year for Michigan’s offensive line.
At least that’s what U-M sophomore center Cesar Ruiz believes. The rising star of the offensive line is back at center after playing right guard in 2017. He heard the criticism of the line from last season and has used that for motivation. The line as a whole has a newfound swagger and attitude, as junior left guard Ben Bredeson said recently as well.
“You don’t like hearing that [criticism],” Ruiz said. “As offensive linemen, when everyone is blaming everything on you, it’s just not something you want to hear. You keep hearing it and hearing it and it motivates you. They’re not going to say it about us this year, I can guarantee that. That’s our mindset, they’re not going to point fingers at us.”
Moving back to center has been a natural transition for Ruiz. It’s the only position he’d ever played before arriving at Michigan. He says he was “born to play center.”
While it was different not having the ball in his hand every play at right guard, he does feel like he gained valuable experience that will help him this season.
“Playing right guard really allowed me to get my feet wet,” Ruiz said. “I was able to win a starting position last year, so what it really did for me was [allow me to] experience what it was like to actually play in the game, what it’s like to be starter.”
He won the right guard spot over junior Mike Onwenu, who suffered an injury which allowed Ruiz a chance in the first place. Now, he’s expected to play next to Onwenu, who will be back at right guard.
“Big Mike is doing a great job,” Ruiz said. “I didn’t get to play alongside Mike ever last year, so playing alongside him in practice, you get to see how powerful and strong he is, how sneaky athletic he is for his size.”
Ruiz wants to take everything up step up from last year. To do that, he’s continued learning from current graduate assistant and last year’s center, Patrick Kugler. They talk all the time, and Ruiz credits Kugler with helping him become a college center and adjusting to big time defenses. He admits it’s a different game compared to high school.
“Our relationship hasn’t really shifted or changed, except he’s a coach now, so I have to treat him like a coach,” Ruiz said. “He’s playing the coach role like he did last year. Last year, he took me under his arms in a big brother role and helped me out with everything.”
Kugler is always checking up on Ruiz and is able to aid him in learning the playbook. Ruiz said he studies the playbook every night, and almost has it all down.
In spring ball, he’s been able to snap the ball to junior quarterback Shea Patterson, who he played with in high school.
“It’s fun, sometimes we forget we were teammates in high school, you don’t really think about it that much, but it’s fun,” Ruiz said. “He’s still a good player, I can tell you that.”
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @AndrewVcourt, @Balas_Wolverine and @EvanPetzold.
• Like us on Facebook
