Seahawks C Olu Oluwatimi Already Earning Raving Reviews From Pete Carroll, Teammates
RENTON, Wash. - Away from the quarterback position, no incoming NFL player may face a steeper learning curve coming into the NFL than centers, the primary communicators charged with making calls for the rest of the offensive line.
But while Seahawks fifth-round pick Olu Oluwatimi still has much to master at the pivot position like any rookie, he feels better equipped than most players to make an easy transition to the league due to his immense amount of experience at the college level with three programs. Most notably, capping off a decorated career with more than 3,500 snaps exclusively at center, he won the Rimington and Outland Awards playing for coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan last season.
“Being at Michigan, we ran a pro-style scheme. So I was definitely prepared coming here," Oluwatimi said after Saturday's rookie minicamp session. "Because you had to make all the calls and all the points and things upfront... Same thing here. I definitely think that my background going to Michigan and playing there definitely helped me to not have as steep of a learning curve."
Before playing a single season for the Wolverines, who advanced to the college football playoff after winning the Big Ten, Oluwatimi originally enrolled at Air Force, which he called his "best opportunity coming out of high school." After being allowed to walk away from his military commitment, he transferred to Virginia, where he became an immediate starter after sitting out a year per NCAA rules and developed into a Second-Team All-ACC selection by his third season with the program.
Already on the NFL radar and with a year of eligibility remaining, Oluwatimi wanted to further elevate his game playing in a pro style offense rather than the Air Raid system he starred in at Virginia. As a former player and coach who found great success in the league, he felt Harbaugh and his staff at Michigan would provide the optimum environment to prepare for him for the next level and transferred in January 2022.
Thriving with the Wolverines, Oluwatimi didn't yield a single sack and only allowed eight total quarterback pressures during the 2022 season, standing out as one of the best pass protectors in the country. But the Maryland native felt his year in Ann Arbor benefited him the most as a run blocker anchoring an offense that averaged nearly 240 rushing yards per game and ran roughshod on opponents, particularly when it came to line calls and identifying fronts for teammates.
"In the run game, as an o-lineman, you get up to the line of scrimmage and you're like 'okay, we got to just move these guys off the ball.' But you're going forward and there's a lot of moving pieces and things that nature," Oluwatimi explained. "You're attacking, so when you're attacking somebody and they're moving, you gotta attack plus move with them... It's a little harder, communicating and pointing and being right, everybody being right on the same page."
Given his diverse background playing in multiple offensive schemes, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Oluwatimi hit the ground running at Seattle's annual rookie minicamp this weekend, wowing coaches and new teammates alike with his rare veteran savvy and communication skills.
While still several months away from the pads coming on amid the heat of training camp, Oluwatimi displayed plenty of pop firing his hands in blocking sleds and great feel for footwork on combination blocks during drill work. He could also be seen already making line calls and pointing out defenders during scrimmage periods with four linemen next to him he had never played alongside before, including fellow draft pick Anthony Bradford at right guard.
"He's a very smart player. I feel like he can help me with my game a lot," Bradford said of his new teammate. "Because I know that I don't know everything. He's got his face in the playbook, I've got my face in the playbook, so when we put our minds together, it's going to be nasty."
Though he won't get to see either Oluwatimi or Bradford knocking defenders off the ball anytime soon with contact prohibited during offseason on-field activities, coach Pete Carroll believes there's still plenty to unpack evaluating young offensive linemen this time of year.
Paying close attention from the first walkthrough practice on Friday, Carroll indicated that he zeroes in on footwork and technique on combination blocks with offensive linemen out of the gate. While he and his staff have to "use our imagination" a little bit in some regards this time of year without being able to see actual blocking being done yet, those skills will be critical when the Seahawks start running plays full speed in camp and game action later in the summer.
Speaking on Oluwatimi's game specifically, Carroll said it became apparent right away that he has received excellent coaching at the college level due to his "strong feel" for schemes and technically refined game. Showcasing the leadership and football IQ that played a role in winning two major awards as the nation's best center and interior offensive lineman this weekend, he's eager to see what he and Bradford can accomplish developing in tandem in the trenches for the Seahawks.
"We've always cherished the guy that can kind of be the play-caller up front in the middle, and Olu's got that background. He jumped into the Michigan thing and took over, overwhelmed the country a little bit with his play at center and got all those awards and acclaim and all of that. And you can see why. He's a really bright kid. He's got all the physicals. He weighed in at 319 [pounds]. He looked terrific. Watching those guys fit together, I've already talked to them about getting the special communication line open so that they can learn and grow together.”
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Seahawks? Click Here to subscribe to AllSeahawks.com's Newsletter.
Follow All Seahawks.com on Twitter and Facebook.
Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @lockedonseahawks today! Click here To Listen.
Want even more Seattle Seahawks news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
