From Vegas to Miami: New starting Canes tackle had ‘surreal experience’ against Alabama
In his first plays as a Miami Hurricane, 6-3, 325-pound Justice Oluwaseun helped ensure that quarterback D’Eriq King didn’t get manhandled even more than he already did Saturday in the University of Miami’s 44-13 loss to No. 1 Alabama.
And with a quarterback who had reconstructive knee surgery in January, that was enough to give Oluwaseun, a redshirt junior transfer from UNLV, a promotion to starting offensive right tackle when the Canes (0-1) meet Appalachian State (1-0) in their home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“It’s just a surreal experience to play against a great team like that,’’ said Oluwaseun (pronounced O-luh-wuh-SHONE) after practice Tuesday in his first interview with the Miami media. “...They’re technically sound. They play as a team so it was a great experience.”
He said he had some “butterflies” when he entered the game with 11:33 left in the second quarter, but he took “a deep breath” and realized he wasn’t as nervous as he thought he would be. “I think it was the experience of playing so much football. ...It’s something I’ve been doing since second grade. It’s something I love.”
Nonetheless, Oluwaseun, who said he has been practicing at both right tackle and right guard, considers himself “a perfectionist.’’ Despite believing he did “pretty well’’ for his first game against a team like Alabama, he noticed the bad more than good and is eager “to get better.’’
“Justice brings a real edge, a real toughness, just kind of a physical mentality to it,’’ offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said after UM released a depth chart Monday that showed former starting right tackle DJ Scaife had been demoted. Scaife allowed an especially damaging sack that had King fumbling as he was drilled. Bama scored four plays later to make it 20-0.
“The bottom line is he was competing in a way that was giving D’Eriq time to get rid of the ball,’’ Lashlee said of Oluwaseun, “and we just weren’t doing that the first few drives on the right side. So, like I said, when one was in there, we were getting hit and the other one we weren’t. That’s as simple as I can put it.”
UM coach Manny Diaz told WQAM early Tuesday that “there’s still a role for DJ Scaife, still a role for [fellow tackle] Jarrid Williams.”
“But if you watch the film of the way he competed against arguably the top pass rusher in college football, the guy really held his own. What you just saw was after he went in, we had a chance. Alabama was throwing pressures and stunts. Every time we went to drop back it was some high-intensity stuff going on in there. The line did better as they went on [and] Justice was certainly a part of that.”
Texas to Vegas
Oluwaseun, 22, is from Richmond, Texas, and was rated a three-star prospect at Foster High. He spent his first four seasons with the Rebels, making 21 starts. He started all six games at right tackle in 2020 and 11 of 12 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2019 — five at right tackle, five at left tackle and one at left guard. He started four games as a redshirt freshman in 2018, including three at left tackle.
Don’t get confused by his first name. It’s the same as UM offensive line coach Garin Justice’s last name. Justice, the O-line coach, was Oluwaseun’s offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at UNLV in 2019, and his O-line coach there in 2018.
“Coach Justice has been a big help,’’ Oluwaseun said. “He’s one of the greatest coaches I’ve ever been a part of. When he was at UNLV he really turned my game around, just pushed me to the professional level instead of just the collegiate level. He worked technique, he watched film all the time. When he came to Miami I was blessed enough to get an offer.”
He said the Canes are “trying to shake off” the loss “and move on” to Appalachian State. “There’s no time to mope around and no time to be down on yourself.’’
Injury report
Canes receiver Mike Harley, who left the Alabama game early in the third quarter on a 17-yard reception after getting hit hard by four Crimson Tide players — his helmet popping off and his head being pushed back by the force, his father Mike Harley, Sr. told the Miami Herald — was limited at practice Tuesday in a red, noncontact jersey.
Receivers coach Rob Likens spoke after practice and said Harley “is fine” and “good to go” for Appalachian State.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 1:43 PM.
