Olusegun Oluwatimi, IOL Michigan: 2023 NFL Draft
Oluwatimi was a two-star recruit from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. in the class of 2017
The Michigan Wolverines added starting center Olusegun Oluwatimi in the transfer portal this past offseason. The move has paid dividends as Michigan’s ground game is as strong as ever. As a former All-ACC selection and All-Big Ten candidate, Oluwatimi should get his fair share of attention in the 2023 NFL Draft process.
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Olusegun Oluwatimi, IOL Michigan: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Sixth year graduate center from Upper Marlboro, Md.
Background: Oluwatimi was a two-star recruit from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. in the class of 2017. He was the No. 3,300 recruit according to 247Sports. Oluwatimi didn’t receive a national ranking or star ranking from Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. He began his high school football journey at Archbishop Carroll High School. Oluwatimi arrived at Air Force in 2017 before transferring to Virginia in 2018. He transferred from Virginia to Michigan for the 2022 season. Oluwatimi earned a degree in economics from Virginia. His brother (Oluwaseun) was a defensive lineman at Maryland.
2021 Production: 12 games, played center
2020 Production: 10 games, played center
2019 Production: 14 games, played center
2018 Production: (Sat out because of transfer rules)
2017 Production: 0 games (Redshirt Year)
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: 2019 Honorable Mention All-ACC, 2019 VaSID First-Team All-State, 2021 Second-Team All-ACC, 2021 Second-Team All-American (FWAA), 2021 Rimington Trophy Finalist
Pros: Four years of starting experience, effective pulling and finding second-level targets, climbs to the second level and eliminates linebackers, frames blocks well to control and redirect defenders, stays low and drives with power in the run game, strong grip to latch and drive defenders, few to no inaccurate snaps, oscillates to handle multiple targets, awareness in pass pro to detect stunts and blitzes, seals interior defensive linemen to open rushing lanes, looks for work, hand placement, controlled footwork, high-end understanding of rushing lanes and positioning
Cons: Age, committed nine penalties in 2021, lacks positional versatility, pad level rises quickly leading to losing the leverage battle, not much natural bend in his knees, leans on defenders, allows defenders into his chest, lacks a mauler mentality, plodder in the open field, sometimes late to arrive on pulls, good but not great arm length, might benefit from added weight, hands lack pop, not a twitchy or sudden athlete, carries hands low before engaging, change of direction skills, ducks his head into contact sometimes, lateral movement is sometimes delayed because of heavy feet, feet stop and get stuck in the ground
Overview: Oluwatimi is unofficially listed at 6'3", 307 lbs. He allowed pressure on 3.3% of his pass blocking snaps in 2020 and 3.01% in 2021. Oluwatimi is a highly experienced center. This is his fourth consecutive season serving as a starter after a slow start to his college career. Oluwatimi frames blocks well to control and redirect defenders. He has a strong grip, which helps him latch onto and drive defenders. In pass protection, the former two-star recruit oscillates to handle multiple targets. His veteran savvy shows in how he handles stunts and diagnoses blitzes. Oluwatimi has few to no inaccurate snaps at this point in his career. He constantly looks for work as a blocker and displays a high-end understanding of rushing lanes and positioning. Oluwatimi’s hand placement and controlled footwork help him seal defenders to open rushing lanes. He stays low and drives with power when getting vertical in the run game. Oluwatimi is effective at pulling and finding second-level targets on gap plays. He’s even better at climbing to the second level and eliminating linebackers on inside zone runs. The Maryland native is a true center with no positional versatility. He has good but not great arm length. Oluwatimi struggles with his pad level, which often rises quickly and causes issues in the leverage battle. It doesn’t help that he lacks natural bend in his knees and is prone to leaning on defenders instead of sinking in his stance. Oluwatimi allows defenders into his chest, which further complicates his struggles with leverage. There are some concerns about Oluwatimi’s physical limitations. He’s a plodder in the open field and sometimes arrives a little late on pulls. Oluwatimi isn’t a twitchy or sudden athlete and it shows in his change of direction skills. His feet sometimes stop moving and get stuck in the ground, which leads to delayed lateral movement in pass protection. Oluwatimi isn’t a mauler and his hands lack pop. He doesn’t need to add weight, but he might benefit from getting closer to 315 lbs. His profile includes two smaller concerns that are easily correctable. First, Oluwatimi sometimes ducks his head into contact, which prevents him from identifying other threats and leaves him open for easy counters. Second, he carries his hands low before engaging the defender. There were reps where Oluwatimi failed to protect his chest because he was late getting his hands up by half a second. Oluwatimi is experienced with zone and gap concepts. While his understanding of rushing lanes and ability to eliminate targets on the move are attractive elements for a gap scheme, Oluwatimi’s limited agility and physical limitations make him best fit for an inside zone scheme at the next level.
Overall, Oluwatimi is a decorated and highly experienced center with more than 3,000 snaps at the college level who displays a high football IQ, but the lack of bend in his knees and concerns about his agility limit his ceiling as a prospect. Oluwatimi is a high-floor, low-ceiling player who should establish himself as a capable backup early in his NFL career.
Role & Scheme Fit: Center in an inside zone scheme
Round Projection: Late Fifth to Early Seventh
Player Comparison: N/A
Submitted: 10-28-22