Michigan offensive coordinator Tim Drevno spoke to WTKA recently and touched on several interesting topics, including how some of the younger players are progressing, and what he’s looking most forward to most this season. Here are the highlights:
On whether sophomore right guard Michael Onwenu has slimmed down: “Mike has done a great job this summer transforming his body, and he’s a different guy now. He’s also a very prideful guy, and it’s important to him to be right. Mike understands his weight needs to be under control for him to play at a high level.”
Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Nolan Ulizio’s progress: “Like everybody, Nolan has made some mistakes, but he always pushes on. It’s important to him to get in that starting lineup. He’s playing really confident right now, and that’s something you want all your players to do.”
What excites him most heading into the season: “I really like our speed outside with the receiver group. I also like our tight end core — we’re starting to get a group where we can throw the deep ball down the field to them.”
The battle at right tackle: “You’ve got [redshirt sophomore] Jun Runyan out there, Nolan Ulizio and [freshman] Andrew Stueber. We’re experimenting though, so it’s still a work in progress.”
Whether or not he’s having more fun now than ever before: “I’m having so much fun right now — I love pulling in here every day. I’ve been with Jim [Harbaugh] for seven years and I love the way he competes, leads and thinks outside the box. This is such a great place — the University of Michigan, are you kidding me? I pinch myself sometimes.”
Big offensive plays that have stood out to him so far in camp: “There was a fade ball to [freshman receiver] Tarik [Black] where he jumped over the top of the corner’s head. [Freshman receiver] Oliver Martin also caught one deep in the end zone over a defensive back’s head. There have been some plays that have made us think we’re getting close — we’re not there yet, but we’re definitely getting close.”
The importance of quarterbacks learning the whole system: “A quarterback has to know who’s picking up whom, and where his hots are. He can’t just know the routes — he has to know conceptually what’s going on as well. You want them to understand the ins and outs of all the concepts and where the problems lie, because that is what’s going to make them a better player.”
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