Ruiz Discusses Onwenu's Improvement, Ben Mason's Presence On The D-Line
The two biggest reasons Michigan struggled to an 8-5 campaign in 2017 were due to subpar play from both the team's quarterbacks and offensive linemen.
The former was shored up heading into last year with the arrival of then-junior Shea Patterson, while first-year position coach Ed Warinner helped fix the latter.
An offensive line that surrendered 36 sacks in 2017 was reduced to 23 last year, with the expectation that that number will be decreased once again in 2019 with four starters returning (fifth-year senior left tackle Jon Runyan, senior left guard Ben Bredeson, junior center Cesar Ruiz and senior right guard Mike Onwenu).
Bredeson was named a team captain last season as a junior (and will be expected to retain that captaincy as a senior), and it would not be a surprise if Ruiz also earns that title a year from now.
“I’m still just doing what I’ve always been doing [in Josh Gattis’ new offense],” he explained. “I still have a lot of responsibilities on my plate, but I’m used to it — it’s become second nature for me.
“With that being said, we feel so much different now than this time last year. We all have chemistry with each other and work so well together. Everyone is also holding each other accountable and we’re seeing guys become leaders out there.”
One returning starter who was criticized at times last year was Onwenu.
The Detroit native played at 350 pounds last season and noticeably struggled with simple movements at times, but Ruiz revealed that the Cass Tech alum has taken that next step in spring practices so far.
“Mike took this winter conditioning to a whole new level, and his play is starting to turn some heads in the building,” Ruiz revealed. “He and I have always performed combination blocks well together, but he’s now doing them with that extra fire. Mike is moving so well for a guy his size — he’s like a ballerina out there.”
It’s widely assumed that Onwenu will retain his duties as Michigan’s starting right guard, though he’ll have a new face next to him at right tackle with Juwann Bushell-Beatty having graduated.
Warinner revealed that redshirt freshman Jalen Mayfield and redshirt sophomore Andrew Stueber are the top two competitors to take over the right tackle job, and when asked about the former specifically, Ruiz admitted he’s come a long way.
“Jalen had a lot to learn last year, but he’s now fixing those things this time around,” the junior center said. “He’s stepping up and taking things more serious now. Jalen has always been strong and physical, so that’s helped him a lot during his time here.”
Just as Michigan will have a new face at right tackle, it could have also have a new one on the defensive line, albeit a player fans are plenty familiar with.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed two weeks ago that junior fullback Ben Mason had been practicing on that side of the ball, and the excitement regarding what kind of havoc he could potentially wreak on opposing offenses has only grown since.
“I’ve only gone up against him once or twice, but I remember the reps vividly because there was so much yelling,” Ruiz laughed. “He has so much strength he just wants to oppose on you, and he makes you hear it.
“It’s called the Ben Mason scream — it’s a good thing, even though it’s a lot to handle if you’re not used to him. It’s great having him on both sides of the ball because he’s such a freak athlete.”
Michigan could certainly use the added help on the defensive line in 2019, seeing as how it lost four key contributors (Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich, Bryan Mone and Lawrence Marshall) and failed to produce any kind of pressure whatsoever on Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins when the two teams squared off in November.
Ruiz explained that everything that can be done to avoid another season-ending collapse is being done.
“We're all doing the extra stuff to make sure that never happens again," he confirmed. "Nobody wants that bad taste in their mouths, and everybody is doing the extra stuff — extra blocks, running to the ball, etc.
"We’re doing things on our own without the coaches as well. It’s similar to what we were doing heading into 2018, but we’ve taken it a step further.”
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