A MAC opponent and an 11 a.m. kickoff may not be a good mix for a big crowd and a lively atmosphere at Ryan Field on Saturday, but two local 2023 prospects will be watching the Wildcats from the stands to see what the Wildcats have to offer.
Here's a thumbnail sketch of both visitors:
QB Aidan Gray
Gray is a dual-threat quarterback from Naperville North that has already attracted quite a bit of attention from Power Five schools. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder has offers from Eastern Illinois and Western Michigan, and has received interest from Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, Wisconsin and, of course, Northwestern from the Big Ten. Other programs involved include Cincinnati, Iowa State, North Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian likes mobile quarterbacks, and Gray is a true dual-threat. Bajakian got a good look at Gray in June, when he attended an NU one-day camp. He also went to 10 other camps over the summer.
North is off to a slow start this season, winning just one of their first four games. Gray has completed 63.2% of his passes for 566 yards, with six touchdowns and four interceptions, according to MaxPreps. He also has 168 yards rushing on 33 carries, a 5.1-yard average.
Naperville North is obviously the crosstown rival of Naperville Central, where NU 2022 WR Reggie Fleurima stars.
DE Brooks Bahr
Bahr, a Loyola Academy DE, won't have a long drive to Evanston on Saturday morning. He picked up his first offer over the weekend, and it was a B1G one from the B1G: Illinois. Bahr said he was surprised to pick up the offer from head coach Bret Bielema.
Bahr put on quite a bit of "good weight" on his 6-foot-5 frame over the summer and is up to 250 pounds. Not surprisingly, he's drawn quite a bit of interest from Power Five programs like Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. He also camped at Northwestern back in June.
While Bahr played JV football for the Ramblers in 2020, he is making a big impact with the 4-0 Varsity squad this season. He has 17 tackles and his five TFL is tied for the team lead. He has one sack and one forced fumble. Incidentally, one of Bahr's teammates at Loyola is fellow junior Jack Fitzgerald, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder whose also been seen at Northwestern a few times over the years.
Here's a thumbnail sketch of both visitors:
QB Aidan Gray
Gray is a dual-threat quarterback from Naperville North that has already attracted quite a bit of attention from Power Five schools. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder has offers from Eastern Illinois and Western Michigan, and has received interest from Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, Wisconsin and, of course, Northwestern from the Big Ten. Other programs involved include Cincinnati, Iowa State, North Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian likes mobile quarterbacks, and Gray is a true dual-threat. Bajakian got a good look at Gray in June, when he attended an NU one-day camp. He also went to 10 other camps over the summer.
North is off to a slow start this season, winning just one of their first four games. Gray has completed 63.2% of his passes for 566 yards, with six touchdowns and four interceptions, according to MaxPreps. He also has 168 yards rushing on 33 carries, a 5.1-yard average.
Naperville North is obviously the crosstown rival of Naperville Central, where NU 2022 WR Reggie Fleurima stars.
DE Brooks Bahr
Bahr, a Loyola Academy DE, won't have a long drive to Evanston on Saturday morning. He picked up his first offer over the weekend, and it was a B1G one from the B1G: Illinois. Bahr said he was surprised to pick up the offer from head coach Bret Bielema.
Bahr put on quite a bit of "good weight" on his 6-foot-5 frame over the summer and is up to 250 pounds. Not surprisingly, he's drawn quite a bit of interest from Power Five programs like Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. He also camped at Northwestern back in June.
While Bahr played JV football for the Ramblers in 2020, he is making a big impact with the 4-0 Varsity squad this season. He has 17 tackles and his five TFL is tied for the team lead. He has one sack and one forced fumble. Incidentally, one of Bahr's teammates at Loyola is fellow junior Jack Fitzgerald, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder whose also been seen at Northwestern a few times over the years.
