Mike Elston Talks Return To Michigan, D-Line Depth, Personnel

Mike Elston is already settling in nicely during his return to Michigan.

New Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston has been at Notre Dame for the last 12 years, but now he's back in Ann Arbor where he played and he couldn't be happier.

"It’s been great," he said. "I've been able to reconnect with a lot of former players and guys I played football with or coached when I was a graduate assistant, so it’s been great to see them, either when they’ve come back with their families or their wives. I have connections already in the area, so a lot of friendships just...it’s been really, really good."

Elston obviously isn't stepping into a situation where the cupboard is bare, but he does have the tall task of trying to replace incredible production by Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Elston is a veteran coach, so he knows it won't be an exact replication, but he's optimistic about who he has to work with.

"I’m excited about the personnel," he said. "We’ve got some really good edge players and we’ve got some guys inside that are developing.

"It’s going to be a little bit different because Mike Morris and Taylor Upshaw, they’re going to play different. You hope that the production is there. We've got young guys coming on like Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell. It’s a great room but it’s going to be different. For them to go out there and say, 'I've got to play like Aidan and play like Ojabo,' they've got to be their own type of player that they’re going to be."

Elston discussed his personnel at length and his typical approach to subbing guys in and out along the defensive line and also touched on recruiting at his alma mater, how much he's changing since coming over from Notre Dame and more in the video above.