Previously: Last year’s profiles, K Adam Samaha, K James Turner (Tr), S Brandyn Hillman, CB DJ Waller, CB Cameron Calhoun, CB Jyaire Hill, HSP/LB Jason Hewlett, LB Hayden Moore, LB Semaj Bridgeman, LB Ernest Hausmann (Tr), OLB Breeon Ishmail, DE Aymeric Koumba, DE Enow Etta, DE Josaiah Stewart (Tr).

Wilmette (Loyola Academy), IL – 6'6"/270
		247: 6'6/270                        3.64*	3*, 87, NR overall #96 DL, #19 IL
		On3: 6'6/265                        3.81*	3*, 88, NR overall #62 DL, #8 IL
		Rivals: 6'6/250                        3.69*	3*, 5.7, NR overall #40 SDE, #12 IL
		ESPN: 6'5/260                        3.62*	3*, 77, #68 MW #98 DE, #14 IL
		Composite           3.77* / 3.76*	3*, #670/#644 Ovr #71/#67 DL, #13/#12 IL
		MGoAverage                        3.71*	3*, #586/789 Ovr #51/69 DTs since '90
		YMRMFSPA	Matt Godin
Other Suitors	Illinois, the rest of the B10 West, and Duke
Previously On MGoBlog	Hello by Alex Drain
Notes	State champs, played for John Holecek.
Film:
Senior Highlights: Hudl. Drills.Q&A with Holland.

The last time I can remember Michigan butting heads so much with Illinois for top Midwest defenders was the early 1990s. Those were the Lou Tepper years, when the Illini were an all-D/no-O outfit with a front seven stacked with future pros. No offense to any mid-90s Michigan OLBs who may be reading this, but it was hard watching them waste every Simeon Rice, Dana Howard, Kevin Hardy, Danny Clark, Scott Turner, and John Holecek to come through there on 7-5 seasons when we were trying to win championship with friggin' Mike Elston.

If you feel old remembering the name of Holecek, get ready for this: That guy just retired from coaching after winning his third state title last December. While you collect your gray (back) hairs, the good news is the unsung engine of Holecek's final defense is coming to Michigan.

Those Tepper defenses were such a pain to play against. This was the age of big, long defensive tackles (what we called 3-4 ends back in the day) who would neither budge nor let your offensive linemen get off their doubles, leaving crop-topped linebackers free to fly around and show off their abs.

Did you not know about the abs? Oh my god there were so many abs.

Holecek's last star lineman would be right at home on those no-name Tepper lines keeping the parade of Alvin Macks clean. I don't really think our feelings toward the Illini go so far as rivalry, but I do approve of taking the best parts of the schools we go against and making them our own, whether that's a guy that Tepper would have loved, or a guy that Ryan Walters kept trying to paw out of Michigan's class. No, it doesn't make up for 1992, nor the parade of tickytack calls every time Michigan made a play in 1996 (ask your pops about Ty Law's interception, Will.) But it does mean if you can't appreciate what Michigan saw in 3-star DT Brooks Bahr, you weren't around for the abs.

[After THE JUMP: Definitely not abs.]

---------------------------

And He Grew, Grew, Grew, and Grew

Bahr was relatively unknown in the recruiting world despite being the best player on the best team in the state of Illinois. On3's EJ Holland wondered if anyone from a national site had been to Wrigleyville to see him. I know Chicago is a tiny out of the way village in flyover country but there's another explanation for it: through his freshman year Bahr was was playing lacrosse, not football, until he started to grow. Then he kept on growing. Loyola DL coach Pete DiStaulo:

The jump that he made from then until now [May 2022], 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.

Bahr joined the JV football team and hit up some camps—at the time he "long, thin, and an absolute beast during pas rush one on ones" to Rivals Clint Cosgrove. He met Mike Elston at Notre Dame's camp, but ND didn't offer at the time. Bahr jumped to the varsity practice squad for the delayed/shortened 2020 season in spring 2021. At that point he was also approaching 6'6" with a 7-foot wingspan. People didn't believe how much was in there until he stepped on the scale—Holecek reports he guessed 250 until the scale said 269 "with no body fat." Libby thought he figured out where Bahr put it all:

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.

…and

There’s plenty of room for Bahr to build on muscle in his upper half which is the goal this offseason.

…and noted Michigan had asked him to not to get to 290 until Ben and Abigail get their hands on him, and Elston has a role figured out.

Due to COVID wiping out the back half of his freshman year, Bahr attended his first camp in late 2020. He hit up Notre Dame after that, which was when Mike Elston started recruiting him. Playing for a stacked Loyola team as a freshman and in the shortened sophomore season Bahr was largely ignored. Going into his junior season the only scout paying attention was EdgyTim O'Halloran, the Rivals-affiliated aficionado of Chicago-based high school ball. Late 2021 was when O'Halloran first noticed Bahr had put on "good" weight.

…came on big time over the spring and summer and has developed into one of the better defensive ends in the Class of 2023. Bahr has added a ton of good weight and muscle, has tremendous length and reach and has been impressive each time I see him live.

Jim Harbaugh said "big, athletic" before moving on to the state championship and all the guys they're getting from the city that drafted him 1st, with a "versatile" after it.

Sets the edge and it stays set

There is *very* little mystery why Michigan likes Bahr. If you just stick to the run game/edge stuff Bahr has all the length and run-stopping power they loved in Aidan Hutchinson. Allen Trieu described a typical Don Brown Anchor prospect.

Massive framed defensive lineman. Can play 3-4 defensive end or may play tackle in an even front. Strong, has added weight as a senior and is tough to move. Coordinated and plays with good balance. Holds his ground in the run game.

The comp Trieu gave is former Ravens draftee Zach Sieler (highlights), who's made it work as an edge for the Dolphins. Holecek's comparison was Phil Hansen, the "Raging Buffalo" from the Bills' almost dynasty.

Phil was a long guy. He was steady not flashy. He wasn’t a great athlete but a really good one that could consistently show up against the run or pass. He was extremely high in all his assignments. I expect Brooks to be very similar.

Just say "stiffer Aidan Hutchinson" you guys. It ain't like we've never recruited the kind of end that scouts (Lukas Reimink here) would call a "standout player" in the run game?

He maintains leverage well and is well disciplined to stay in his gap. He has a big frame and good strength to be able to set the edge and hold up at the POA. He also uses his heavy hands well to stack and shed opposing lineman and make a play on the ball carrier. Because of his effort level, he also has a solid range to be able to chase plays down from the backside.

EJ Holland went out to see the "stout" Loyola defensive line and thought Bahr technically sound but too used winning with brute strength. Josh Henschke described "a physical force" who's "more of a run-stopping/support defensive end."

Libby added that there's a bit of Mason Graham in there too—not in his shape but his attitude that would see Bahr rise to four-stardom eventually. Cosgrove called him "gritty" and a "dominant force" who's impossible not to notice out there.

Has only one pass rush move

The scouts also find it hard not to notice that Bahr's only pass-rush move is Run Over Puny Human. Reimink:

In the pass game, Bahr really only has one way to win which is a straight power rush. He is very strong, and more importantly, has heavy hands. He has good hand use to disengage offensive lineman with swims, rips, etc. and the heavy hands to be able to do it effectively. However; he offers almost no speed-rushing aspect.

Holecek admitted outright "He's not an edge rusher" who needs to work on "adding a couple more moves to his pass rush," but explained that's because he's "still a baby at 6-foot-6, 275 pounds."

Position Fit?

The obvious question with a 6'6"/275 baby is what does that grow into? His past and present coaches all call him "versatile" but only in the way that he's got a foot in 5-tech and 3-tech world. O'Halloran says that can extend all over the line because he has the ability and physical tools to be equally effective either inside or outside, which adds nose to the equation I guess?

His current DL coach really limits that to 3-tech (Jenkins) or 5-tech (Morris)

"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."

Holland notes Loyola was playing him as you would a Don Brown Anchor or the SDE in a Wisconsin 3-4.

He also played in more of a 4i role and played assignment football, taking on blockers and allowing his linebackers to make plays.

Holecek confirmed that role was to "shut down his side of the line, control blockers and command double teams in pass situations." Holland adds that Elston is trying to add length—"guys who look more like Bahr as opposed to guys that look like Mason Graham."

The upside is certainly there for Bahr. Along with an athletic frame, Bahr already has plenty of power, and that will only get better once he gets into Michigan’s strength and conditioning program and adds the necessary weight. …  Bahr has the length and athleticism of an EDGE, which is why he was listed there in the first place, but projects best as a [3-]technique.

Holecek thinks the guy who's already 275 before he gets in a college program is probably destined for DT.

"He's a five-tech (at Loyola) but I can see him playing anywhere along the line as a five or three-tech (at Michigan). As he develops, I think he'll be more of a three-tech because of his build. You look at this frame, you think he could carry on more weight.

Reimink voted for "5-Tech DE in a 3-4 scheme" but that would be more like the Jenkins role that slides out a gap when Michigan goes 5-2, not an edge himself.

What about offensive line then? I mean, that's what you do with 6'6"/275 freshmen with a ton of weight in their lower bodies, right? Trieu thought it should not be ruled out as a long-term possibility but Holland shot that down directly.

There has been some chatter about Bahr potentially playing along the offensive line, but he’s not overly athletic and lacks flexibility. I personally think he should stick along the defensive line. He fits the Michigan scheme well and will benefit from a dedicated teacher like Mike Elston.

Lacks Explosiveness and Bend

Not athletic enough to play offensive line is quite a statement. Unfortunately this is a remark that gets repeated in a lot of scouting reports. Touch the Banner's:

The first thing to note is that he is not quick off the ball. He’s one of the last guys to start moving after the snap. And it’s not just his reaction time, but his inability to gain ground and get that second step down that have me concerned. He needs to be more explosive off the ball and seems tentative and reticent to really let loose and play aggressively. There are times where he just hops on ball carriers’ backs instead of hitting with force, and that’s probably because he tends to play a little high.

Reimink said he "could grow into a Day 3 pick." Reimink listed Agility as a weakness and spoke of marginal long speed, and marginal bend with little hope of that loosening.

"There doesn’t seem to be much room for additional athleticism improvements. … has very little bend in his frame, which further limits his impact as a pass-rusher at the next level.

Henschke notes this is sometimes a problem in the run game too: "when he has to try and tackle a more shifty ball-carrier down the field, he lacks the necessary agility to do so."

The nicer people put it in terms of "Herbert needs to work with him on this." Trieu agrees Bahr "has to continue to work on explosion and pure speed." Holland says Bahr "needs to keep improving his feet and get off." Holecek said he'll get there.

HIs potential is through the roof,” Holecek said. “Huge arms, huge hands. He is efficient with his movement and is going to get better and better and more explosive. I see him filling out even more and being an absolute monster.

…but as a DT. Holland too and gives us a good reason the athleticism might not yet be apparent:

His athleticism and flexibility may improve under Michigan strength coach Ben Herbert. It is VERY important to note that Bahr is still getting used to carrying 275 pounds. He experienced a massive weight gain early in the offseason and hit a bit of a late growth spurt. The potential is obviously there as is the size, but it’s very clear Bahr is still getting comfortable with his own body. I strongly believe Herbert will help Bahr continue to physically develop and completely adjust to his body.

Great Dude

Part of this has to be because so many people got quotes from his coaches and his mom—a lot of local papers had similar lines to the above—but even then Bahr seems to draw more than the usual platitudes of personality accolades. Holecek emphasizes “He’s a great human being. He goes about his work. He doesn’t have much of an ego," or something like every time a microphone goes near him. Zach Libby started sounding like the coach.

"Michigan is getting as high of a caliber student-athlete has you can get. You have a kid with tremendous upside physically, outstanding work ethic, and a physical football player who's going to be a great addition to the front seven at Michigan."

Bahr told Libby he plans to major in marketing and sports management, and go into a recruiting role. Sounds like he'd be good at it?

Bahr is very much a people person. Before I could even walk up to him and extend my hand to say hello, Bahr ran about 20 yards my way to introduce himself and say how nice it was to meet me. Every recruit who I’ve covered is very personable and polite, but Bahr is different. His demeanor somehow just attracts other people around him.

Etc. Was on track to play lacrosse in college until he grew too big for it. Trains with former Domer/Colt Kerry Neal. Brother is an offensive tackle at Penn.

Why Matt Godin? Because it's exact. Coach-beloved Catholic school 6'6"/270 DE who projects to grow into a mid-'90s style 3-Tech who uses his strength and length to gum up preferred running lanes. Godin didn't have the explosion or agility to be more than an interior nuisance as a pass-rusher, and covered up a lack of speed by harassing multiple blockers so an un-harassed Devin Bush could make a play in space.

People may knock this one because Godin took awhile to find his final form and didn't do anything in the pros, but that ignores how Godin was starting over Mo Hurst in 2016. Michigan's defense today would be a better fit for Godin than the one he played in—you'll also recall we thought Quick Burst Mo Hurst was the superior player and the purpose of playing Hurst with the two's was to make the second line as dangerous as the first. As they say in hockey, not everyone on the top line has to be a scorer. Bahr projects to be the kind of 3-tech who makes life easy on those around him. Godin's comparison was Will Heininger, for what it's worth.

Some potential that Bahr sticks outside and grows into an AJ Epenesa type (poor man's Aidan Hutchinson) like the NFL ends he got comped to above, but that would take some Ben Herbert magic.

Guru Reliability: Low. Cosgrove, whom I think is local, was the only national dude to come by. One of those recruitments where the player wasn't on radars until his junior year, then committed early and didn't give them any recruiting drama to cover (Illinois kept pressing but it was behind the scenes).

Variance: Low. He's already 275, and other than suddenly developing (or finding) a ton of buried athleticism and explosion, the thing he's projected to be is just a stronger version of the thing he is plus a few pass rush moves.

Ceiling: Low-ish. I'll save some space for the possibility that there's a highly mobile lacrosse star still in there who got thrown off-balance by suddenly growing into a new body—AJ Epenesa was a 2nd rounder and is still hanging around on the Bills.

Flight Risk Level: Very low. There's always the chance that he gets buried on the depth chart, but Bahr's goal of being a football front office type serves Michigan especially well. Seems like the type of guy who wouldn't mind working his way up to being a plus rotation player in Years 3 and 4 without the glory, and who isn't looking to leave until he's got that Ross degree in hand. Mike Elston isn't going anywhere no matter what happens with Harbaugh, and a 3-tech/5-tech type works for most systems if that changes. That's about the maximum you can hope for in projecting a recruit's staying power.

General Excitement Level: Moderate-minus. Baseline 5: +1 for that's some length right there, –1 for lacks explosion, –1 for lacks athleticism too?, +1 for seems likely to stick around and explore his ceiling, –1 for part of the reason for that is the NFL doesn't seem like much of a factor.

Projection: To quote from Godin's 2012 writeup:

Program guy who is one of the various extremely large men who will keep Michigan's rushing defense stout in the next four or five years, but not likely to be a star.

Redshirt while they work out where he's putting that weight (if you guys figure it out please tell me because my kindergartener weighs as much as his 3rd grade sister, and the scientists/people buying lifejackets are baffled). Michigan has Cam Goode behind Kris Jenkins and Rayshaun Benny at the 3-tech spot right now, and Bahr has classmates that are starting closer to playable (at 3-tech at least) than he. Next year however Michigan is projected to lose both Jenkins and Goode, and with Giudice playing offense they only have offensive convert Alessandro Lorenzetti in line to back up Benny.

That means someone from this class, the next class, or (most likely) someone from the portal is going to be needed on the two-deep soon. If you're placing odds I'd put [Portal] over Bahr for 2024. By 2025 however I think we'll see him breaking into the rotation, with a solid role on the team in 2026 and an invite back for 2027. I know talking about a guy sticking around to start his 4th and 5th years is crazytalk these days, but take it from a person who watched football during the Time of Abs: this kind of career used to be completely normal.

[Future scheduling note: I wanted to get Brandt out this week but may need to take a break from these to get HTTV out].