How Michigan and Mike Elston landed 2023 Chicagoland DL Brooks Bahr
Chicago rush hour traffic is no joke. Having never driven in the city before, I was not prepared for bumper-to-bumper slow rolling for two hours just to make it a mere 20 miles to my destination. It would have been easy to just give up and turn the other way had I not had a purpose for doing so. This might have been the most important recruiting trip The Maize and Blue Review has taken since its November beginnings and traffic wasn't going to ruin it.
Wilmette, Illinois, is situated north of Wrigley Field and the downtown Chicago Loop. It borders Evanston and Glenview. It's a relatively peaceful town which is hard to imagine considering the third-largest city in the country is as close as you can get. One of its high schools, Loyola Academy, sits right off the highway exit. You can hear vehicles on I-94 barreling their way over the asphalt upon entering the football field.
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It was after the final bell of the school day rang when I arrived so the students who participated in sports were either getting ready for practice or channeling their inner mojo right before an important game. The football team had workouts set for 3:30 pm, the same time that the heatwave covering suburban Chicago reached a sweltering 99 degrees. The workout was optimal, according to one of the assistant coaches, but the definition of optional has a different meaning when it comes to high school football.
The first half of the workout started on the field. Anything other than cleats and the astroturf that soaked up the sun would burn the soles of the feet. The entire team showed up for the series of conditioning drills. Even just standing around and the players were drenched with sweat. Most of the water was already gulped down before the workout even began. The session lasted less than an hour. But that wasn't entirely why I went out to Loyola.
Rather, getting my first chance to see 2023 three-star defensive lineman and Michigan commit Brooks Bahr live. Getting his reaction to everything that has happened to him over the last few months since announcing his pledge was a must. Showing a face to who's been writing articles about him had the same objective as well.
Bahr is the lone defensive commit for Michigan so far but has made a conscious effort in making an impact and has a leading voice on the recruiting trail. So without ever strapping on the pads at Michigan, he's already done so much.
This story recaps how the Wolverines and defensive line coach Mike Elston landed a fast-rising student-athlete from the midwest.
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The sport of lacrosse, especially at the high school level, is pretty interesting if dissected closely. It's a game with minimal padding but almost as physical as hockey. Running back-and-forth on a 110-yard field non-stop means having to be in the right conditioning. Plus, opportunities to make it beyond the high school level bode differently than others like football.
Going to college for lacrosse is one thing, but going pro is another. Lacrosse isn't exactly this money-making machine like the big five sports, so players, in order to make a decent living, will sometimes have to compete in the outdoor league when the weather permits and the box league indoors during the winter. Compensation isn't grand unless your name is Paul Rabil, so professional lacrosse players also have a career off the field.
But as a young kid, Bahr had dreams of being the next Rabil. Bahr had a stick in his hand ever since he could remember. He played attack, which is the offensive player, and would actually make it on the varsity team at Loyola Academy his freshman year. That would come during the first spike of the COVID-19 pandemic so that season couldn't be played. The fall prior, Bahr tried out for the football team, and really enjoyed his time on the JV team.
Bahr had never played football but had the body and frame capable enough to make the team. Throughout his teen years, Bahr just kept growing, according to his mother, Jennifer Bahr, and eventually got to the point where she and her husband told their son to put on another style of helmet. Noticing the growth spurt that he gained as well, Bahr felt that maybe he became too big for lacrosse, and it was time to shift focus onto another sport.
Bahr remained on the JV team in the spring of last year, due to football being canceled in the greater Chicago area for 2020, but was elevated to the practice squad by Loyola Academy defensive line coach Pete DiStaulo. Having an extra body at Bahr's stature to work against the upperclassmen proved to be a critical jump in his development as a defensive end and tackle. The experience at the varsity level early gave Bahr a head start in his junior year. It helped too that Bahr matured and packed on 40 more solid pounds.
“The jump that we have seen from him from the spring season we played in 2021 has been incredible," Distaulo told The Maize and Blue Review. "He was a sophomore then so we had him up practicing with us. The jump that he made from then until now, which is about a year, has been tremendous. It’s hard to even measure it. Not even the same person. He developed physically from being 235 (pounds) to 275 (pounds) now. He has good weight on him from all the hard work he’s put in. He looks like he’s not even close to reaching his ceiling from a development standpoint.”
The work that Bahr put in the weight room and offseason conditional workouts with the team, along with his weekly training with former Notre Dame and Indianapolis Colts linebacker Kerry Neal, brought the attention of college scouts to the school. Barely into the junior season, Bahr picked up his first offer from Illinois in September, which matriculated into more offers from Purdue, Northwestern, Ball State, and Miami (OH) right before the end of 2021.
“It hasn’t hit me yet, to be honest," Bahr told The Maize and Blue Review. "It’s still pretty surreal. "It’s always been my dream to play football at the highest level. To think that it’s finally coming true is a great thing.”
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Michigan offered Bahr immediately following the hiring of Elston away from Notre Dame. Bahr most likely would have had a Notre Dame offer by now if Elston was still on the staff. The timing couldn't have been better since both Bahr and Elston grew to know each other right from the beginning when Bahr went to a Notre Dame camp this past summer. That's where Elston caught on to this raw but dominating underclassman with less than two years of football experience.
“I really like coach Elston, he’s a great guy," Bahr said. "He’s a great family man. Very outgoing. He came to visit me at the school on Monday. The conversations that we have are very natural and easy flowing. He’s very easy to talk to and a very good coach. I like how he coaches his defensive line. He’s just a great guy all-around.”
Elston extended the scholarship opportunity to Bahr on the first day of February. Nebraska would do the same on that Tuesday. More offers from Iowa State, Iowa, Cincinnati, and Minnesota all came within days of each other and all on the same week. Wisconsin called in early March to be the latest so far.
Elston began his tenure at Michigan very aggressive on the recruiting trail, which has remained consistent through late spring, going after the top dogs nationwide, the sudden risers on the ranking boards, and the under-the-radar flyers to fit his schematic changes to the interior line and EDGE positions. Bahr became a sudden riser in a short amount of time. In mid-August, Bahr was unranked by Rivals.com. Four months later, he ascended to No. 11 in the state of Illinois, then to No. 9 overall since the last update in February.
Elston saw a player with a lot of upsides who can provide versatility as either a three-technique or five-technique. He saw a player who is naturally gifted in the classroom, hence the Northwestern and Vanderbilt offers. He also saw a player universally beloved by Loyola Academy teammates, coaches, and fellow students. He saw a "Michigan Man."
“I think he’s an amazing kid," Jennifer said. "We as parents have really tried to teach our kids to be kind, courteous and to have good manners. He definitely has all of those. He thinks of other people first. He’s just very kind and loving kid. On the football field, he’s not like that (laughs). He tries to be really aggressive and dominate."
Bahr had been to Ann Arbor this past season for the Northwestern game and return right after the offer for spring practice. The family set up a plan once the recruitment took off that Bahr would take at least three or even all five official visits before making the end of the summer the right time to commit. But Bahr saw it differently when he was there for spring camp. He knew that he had seen enough. It was time to pledge to Michigan.
“Originally, they wanted me to take all of my official visits and feel things out," Bahr said. "But after visiting Michigan, my heart was there one hundred percent. Michigan was the place where I wanted to be. I felt like ‘why wait?’ If I knew that this was something that I wanted, why waste the others coaches’ time who were recruiting me? Why waste my own time if I knew where I wanted to go?”
The news came unexpectedly. The announcement came just a month after the offer was made. Bahr didn't post on social media beforehand that he made up his mind. He even admitted that when he told Elston over the phone, the reaction was nothing short of surprised. Bahr was supposed to go visit Cincinnati, Iowa, and Duke the weekends following the spring camp at Michigan but the family, who tried talking Bahr out of it, canceled the trips.
As Bahr would tell his parents, ‘when you know, you know.’
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As a mother, Jennifer just wanted the best for her son. Making sure her son understood everything that was brought onto him through academics and athletics and finding the right school that'll suit both. That's why the family took so many visits before the commitment and why they had so many more lined up originally this spring.
"We wanted Brooks to go into it with an open mind," Jennifer said. "We visited a lot of schools and looked at the academics, seeing if had what he wanted to study, the location, and all of that. But then you have at the football side of things and make sure you like the coaches, seeing if they’re going to play you, the facilities, the strength and conditioning program, and how everything runs there. It makes it more difficult because you’re analyzing two very different aspects of the school. We can guide him and tell him what we’d do. But ultimately, it’s his own journey."
Bahr had an idea in his head of what he was looking for in a college. Outside of the two main factors, he wanted to study and train at a college that had a thriving town surrounding it, which Michigan could have provided. He wanted to practice and earn a degree in sports management, which Michigan could have provided in its Kinesiology department. He also wanted to play for a coaching staff who trusted him, which Michigan could have provided in Elston.
That's why it was so easy to pledge to Michigan and especially Elston, who has acted as straightforward as possible with his plans to develop Bahr as an NFL-ready prospect and off the field example. The Bahr family had heard so many sales pitches from other coaches that they knew were told to so many other families. All they wanted was a down-to-earth and normal person guiding Bahr for the next three-to-five years. Elston ended up being that guy.
The same can be said for defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who has reiterated what has been done by Elston and has also grown close with the family. Bahr considers Minter to be very outgoing and loves how much he expects out of his players. Bahr is excited to see how well Minter does in his first season at Michigan and is looking forward to being underneath Minter's wing come next year. Jim Harbaugh has also had frequent communication with the family since the offer, spring camp visit, and commitment.
"Harbaugh FaceTimed Brooks right after he committed and we spoke with him while we were down for the spring practice and game," Jennifer said. "I actually didn’t realize that he played for the (Chicago) Bears until he talked with him. Harbaugh reminisced about his time in Lake Forest, which is where the Bears practice, and different places that he went often. He just seemed like a normal guy. A football coach who’s passionate and only wants to do what's best for the team.”
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When asked what weight he was at during the conditioning drills, Bahr confirmed that he weighed in a 275-pounds. That's actually about 25 pounds more than when he last weighed himself which was when a college coach stopped by Loyola Academy to ask about his size. According to Jennifer, Bahr told the coach he was at 250 but the coach thought otherwise, which resulted in everyone seeing the drastic but approved gain.
Bahr will look to build on more muscle to his frame which includes plenty of length and bulk. For someone being 275 pounds, Bahr is actually very lean. Jennifer even said that she doesn't know where the weight ended up in his body. Bahr's lower half is absolutely defining. His thighs and claves are ginormous. Elston has told Bahr that if more weight is added before coming up to campus, it better be muscle. His frame should have enough room where five or ten more pounds won't affect his conditioning, if it's not the bad kind, of course.
The reason for Elston wanting Bahr to keep the weight progressing at a minimum is because both Elston and Minter are still determining Bahr's exact role at Michigan. That'll come once Bahr becomes entwined with Michigan's strength and conditioning program and there's a more clear-cut answer. Bahr wants to get set up with a nutritionist as soon as he arrives in Ann Arbor to get him to his optimal size.
More good weight will make Bahr more of a three-technique and a cut upper half will make Bahr more of a five-technique. He currently plays the latter for Loyola Academy but the aforementioned versatility has intrigued Elston with using him in the future.
"As he develops, I think he’ll be more of a three tech because of his build," DiStaulo said. "You look at this frame, you think he could carry on more weight. I think what Michigan will get (in Bahr) is a superstar in whatever role they give him. Whatever role they see him fit, they’re going to get a guy who will excel in that role.”
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Once Bahr retires from football, his goal is to land a career in a player personnel and recruitment department. At the very least, a job that's concentrated on football. He's that kind of guy who knows every statistic about every player in the NFL and MLB so using that comprehension as a money-maker will be Bahr's next move.
As a commit, Bahr has been told and reminded by Elston to help recruit other 2023 prospects who are leaning to Michigan or have expressed interest in the program. There's one in particular, three-star EDGE Joseph Mupoyi, who Bahr has gotten very close with since the two visited together for the spring game. Since early April, they have been in constant contact, with Bahr obviously sending out pitches for them to team up together at Michigan.
"Just like my family, I think they want (Mupoyi) to feel things out," Bahr said. "His parents want him, like I said, to feel everything out, to keep his options open, and not making any early decisions. But he’s a Michigan man and would fit in well. I think that's where he’s leaning towards and where we want him at.”
You can call this period of Bahr's recruitment with him taking on a lead to add others to the class as an unofficial internship. Useful experience before he makes it a career. But for Bahr, the main goal is to provide an impact for his future club without having to don the maize and blue just yet.
Bahr is set to officially visit Michigan on June 17-19 for Victors Weekend. It's those three days where Bahr will make another deep run at getting Mupoyi to commit, who is also expected to be on campus officially that same weekend. Others who will be at Michigan as well are four-star defensive tackle Jason Moore, four-star offensive tackle Cayden Green, and four-star EDGE Enow Etta.
“I’m looking forward to obviously being with the coaches again," Bahr said. "Learning more about the academics side of Michigan and getting to tour Ross. Just being back to where I’m going to play football in the fall of next year. It’ll be fun to get back and bond with everyone.”
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