Kornacki: Onwenu Reaching for His High Ceiling
10/2/2018 10:06:00 AM | Football, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan offensive guard Michael Onwenu entered Schembechler Hall, slipped off his backpack, and mentioned he'd just finished a new class that he enjoys.
What is it?
"Swahili," said Onwenu. "I got called on to read a sentence today, and I was baffled because it was the first day. But I gave it my best try, and I think it's going to be a really good class."
Onwenu, a 6-foot-3, 350-pound junior from Detroit Cass Tech, is an African American Studies major with a minor in entrepreneurship at the Ross School of Business. Swahili is a Bantu language spoken in east African nations but not one of the languages spoken in the Onwenu family's native Nigeria, located near the center of the continent off the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Michael has spent time in Nigeria, the family homeland, along with his parents, Roseline and Stephen. English is the official language in Nigeria, once under British rule, but several different African dialects are spoken in its various regions.
"We went back to Nigeria about three times for a month at a time," said Onwenu, who was raised in Detroit.
He said his name is pronounced "On-WHEN-you" and revealed his full name: Michael Justice Nnamezie Onwenu. "But I just go by Michael," he noted with a smile.
"My mom just likes Justice," said Michael. "She said I've always exemplified my late grandfather, who had that before I was born. She felt a special connection because she said I'm a reincarnation of my grandfather. Both of my grandfathers passed away before I was born."
Michael is considerably taller than others in his family, and he developed into a four-star recruit on powerhouse teams at Detroit Cass Tech, where he was coached by former Wolverine tailback Thomas Wilcher.
"Coach Wilcher has been a second father-figure to me after my dad," said Onwenu. "He's a person I can go talk to whether it's about football or life. He advises me on so many things and helped me develop in many ways."
Onwenu (right, holding nephew Kacen) with, from left, brother Joshua, mother Rosaline, father Stephen and sister Stephanie.
Onwenu played on both sides of the ball as a Michigan freshman in 2016, manning both tackle positions in the middle of the defensive line as well as right guard on offense.
"We tried him out at both," said Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh. "We felt his best position, now and long term for his career, would be the offensive line. He's done very well and continues to be an ascending player. He's still in the process of becoming the best he can be and is doing an excellent job."
Onwenu played defense and offense in games against both Hawaii and Rutgers as a freshman in 2016 before settling in at offensive guard last season and starting nine games.
"I finally got more comfortable my sophomore year," said Onwenu. "Then I was starting, and I got a glimpse of what I could be. Then I got hurt, but now I'm focusing more on where I can improve on and off the field.
"Like, on the field, I can see defenses and I'm reading defensive linemen and their stance. I can see the keys as to whether they're going to twist or not, and it's more about focusing on the little stuff."
New offensive line coach Ed Warinner said Onwenu is scratching the surface of what he can become.
"Mike's improved a lot," said Warinner. "He's a talented guy, and I like where he's progressed. And he has a ton of talent. He can do every job that you need to do, and he has a high ceiling. We just keep pushing him, and he's gaining confidence."
Warinner added that once Onwenu perfects his hand placement and footwork, he will be extremely tough for defenders to get around.
"I'm constantly trying to work on those things," said Onwenu. "I have to keep my hands in tight because sometimes I punch too high and my hands end up on their shoulders, and I don't really have much control then. But if I get the right placement, and my hands are in their chest, I can get a good grip.
"I have a wide base with a big lower body, and so my natural stance is so wide. So, with my footwork, it's just about focusing on how to step forward properly and exert that force into the defensive lineman."
He said Warinner has had a "great impact" on him by "keeping it simple" with instruction and approach.
Onwenu began playing football in eighth grade and went straight to the trenches.
"I was always kind of fast," said Onwenu, "but with my height and weight, regardless, I was going to be a lineman. But in Little League (football) they would have me race against smaller guys like linebackers."
He runs 40 yards in 5.2 seconds, and only nine offensive linemen at the 2018 NFL Combine ran faster. Michigan's Mason Cole, starting at center as an Arizona Cardinals rookie, was 14th at 5.23 seconds.
So, he can really move for a big man, and he has the potential to become a force as a pulling guard.
Onwenu started eight games at right guard and one at left guard in 2017.
Onwenu has enjoyed working with new strength and conditioning coordinator Ben Herbert, who in the last five seasons at Arkansas and the previous 11 at Wisconsin worked with 71 NFL Draft picks.
"He's bringing in new ways of how to do things," said Onwenu. "Last year, there was only one way to do stuff. But he's bringing in new forms and what you can do to improve. I've always been a strong guy, but he told me, 'You were born strong, but it's how you're going to use that.' Whether it's lifting weights or doing cardio and not doing so much as to where you're losing strength."
Onwenu said that competition with fellow guard Stephen Spanellis, who also plays center, "pushed me to my highest point" and made him work harder to improve.
He's making his presence felt as a blocker a bit more each week.
Onwenu wears a unique facemask that is cage-like, but he said it's not because he had problems getting poked in his eyes by defensive linemen.
"Our helmets are like NFL helmets that are specifically fit to your head," he said. "It fit great, and I just picked a facemask to go with it that I think looks nice."
He hopes to use the business minor to someday open up a company dealing in oversized clothing and shoes. That's a natural need for someone who was 300 pounds as a high school sophomore and wears size 15 shoes.
"When you go into malls with feet this big," said Onwenu, "if you can find anything, it's usually the ugliest of ugly."
The late television broadcaster Keith Jackson, one of the greatest college football analysts of all-time, often said during games: "That play was made by the Big Uglies in the trenches."
Line play is anything but pretty, that's for sure. But Onwenu loves the grit, strength and mindset required to play there. A smile crossed his face when he returned from Swahili class to watch film before getting to practice, doing the dirty work and making sure that his hand placement and footwork are just right.
