WOLVERINES

'He's good at both': UM freshman lineman Onwenu giving double effort

Angelique S. Chengelis
The Detroit News
Michael Onwenu is the biggest Michigan player at 375 pounds.

Ann Arbor —Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is so confident freshman lineman Michael Onwenu will factor on both sides of the ball throughout his college and pro careers, he’s willing to put a chocolate milkshake on the line.

Harbaugh, speaking to a small group of reporters Monday night after his weekly radio show, said Onwenu, who had about 35 snaps on offense and defense combined last Saturday against Rutgers, is not yet set on where he will play the majority of the time, because he’s good at both.

Onwenu is a 6-foot-3, 375-pound lineman from Detroit Cass Tech.

“It’s pretty impressive, there’s no doubt about it,” Harbaugh said, adding that Onwenu was starting to get winded against Rutgers.

They’ve moved him around in practice, sticking at one position for several weeks and then the other.

“We have not had him go back and forth during the week or during the same practice session,” Harbaugh said. “He spent three weeks on offense then it was like three weeks on defense, then we brought him back to offense this week. It’s been that two to three weeks on one side and then back to the other side.

“He’s retained everything nicely. He’s very bright. He had a good game.”

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So where will Onwenu finally settle? He likely will focus on one, but will be involved in the other in certain situations.

“I don’t know yet. Haven’t decided yet,” Harbaugh said. “He’s good at both. Asking him, which I have, he likes defensive line better. It’s still determining what his best position will be for his future and an NFL future. That will probably be the thing that swings it.

“Whichever way he goes, I think he’ll be a one-side-of-the-ball player. Say he’s a guard, then he’ll also be a goal-line short-yardage defensive lineman his whole career, or if he’s a defensive tackle, then he’ll be a short-yardage goal-line offensive lineman for the rest of his college career and I bet his pro career, too.

“It’ll surface which side of the ball is his absolute best for his future. But I betcha a chocolate milkshake that both on the college and pro level he’ll be a package guy on the other side of the ball. He’s just what you’re looking for as a nose tackle or a defensive tackle and he’s just what you’re looking for as a guard.”

Tim Drevno, Michigan’s offensive coordinator and line coach, is impressed by Onwenu’s ability to play both at such a young age.

“He’s a football player,” Drevno said Monday night. “He’s a big physical guy that can really hold the point on defense and he does a good job on the offensive side of the ball. You don’t see guys who can do that very often. He’s a football player and can really understand things and is very serious about it and really wants to be good at it.”

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Does Drevno have a preference where he’ll play?

“Whatever is best for him,” Drevno said. “I’d sure like to see him on the offensive side of the ball.”

So would center Mason Cole.

“I’d like to see Big Mike on the offensive line,” Cole said Monday. “He can stay with us.”

Onwenu is enormous. Harbaugh said he’s fine with his weight now, particularly because he has good movement and is agile.

“It’ll get better,” Harbaugh said. “Just look at fat as the enemy of speed. He’s still got some of that, hate to call it baby fat, but a little bit of that. He hasn’t done all of his growing yet, (his) maturing. He’s always going to be really big. At some point he’ll be 350 and cut out of granite. Where he is now he has speed, he has explosion.  He has the ability to play low and fast. He’s really natural at both, really good at both (sides).”