Notre Dame made a big splash on Wednesday when Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean five-star linebacker Drayk Bowen committed to the Fighting Irish. The nation’s No. 28 overall player in the class of 2023 is the newest member of the Notre Dame recruiting class.
This is a big win for Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. He was the lead recruiter for Bowen since day one and was key in landing his pledge. They had in-depth conversations, both on the phone and in person, and he was singled out quite often by the star linebacker when asked about his interest in the Fighting Irish.
“I didn’t really know him early. During my recruitment, I’ve gotten to know him a lot more,” said Bowen of Freeman. “He’s a big part of why Notre Dame has made it so far for me. Him being there and being able to talk to him more and kind of see what he went through when he played, it’s kind of really cool just because I can kind of relate to that. He has also helped me even in recruiting. Him and coach Bowden have really told me what I should look for in a school…
“He knows how to act around young kids and communicate with us better,” added Bowen of Freeman in a previous interview. “Also, especially with linebackers. He’s the defensive coordinator, so having him as my position coach would be very beneficial.”
It should also be noted that defensive director of recruiting Chad Bowden was extremely impactful on Bowen’s final decision. The two hit it off from day one and there was never a point where communication dropped off. Bowen was a major priority for Freeman, Bowden knew that, and was relentless in his pursuit. In addition, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach Mike Elston also played a key role, especially during Bowen’s visits to campus. They had multiple conversations that put the Irish defense and Notre Dame as a whole in a good light in Bowen’s eyes.
Bowen joins a loaded class headed to play ball in South Bend. With his pledge, Notre Dame remains listed as the No. 3 overall class per the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, but is right on the heels of Georgia, the No. 2 class, and the top class in Oklahoma. Bowen is commitment No. 6 that cycle. Mentor (Ohio) high school five-star defensive lineman Brenan Vernon committed to the Irish on June 29. Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep four-star edge-rusher Keon Keeley picked Notre Dame back on June 28. Concord (Calif.) De La Salle four-star tight end Cooper Flanagan picked ND on Sept. 2. Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep four-star running back Sedrick Irvin Jr. joined the class back on Sept. 22. Irvington (N.J.) high school four-star safety Adon Shuler committed on Aug. 15.
As a junior, Bowen has been terrific on both sides of the ball. Not only does he shine through his play, but he has tremendous leadership qualities as well. It’s easy to see why so many believe he’ll be a future captain one day in South Bend. Through 11 games, he has 82 total tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. On offense, he has 97 carries for 632 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has 10 catches for 110 yards and 2 more scores.
247Sports Scouting Report: Physically strong player who is a weight room warrior. Multi-sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also. Has great play speed. Pursues and closes to the football with effort and has explosiveness off the ball and as he closes to his target. Can play a couple of different roles as he has been used as a stand-up edge rusher or he can shift further outside and play out in space over a slot. Might not be as long as schools want in an edge-rusher so he projects more as a traditional outside backer who can blitz off the edge when needed. We have not seen him asked to drop back and cover as much so that is a part of his game that needs to be furthered evaluated although he looks like a good enough athlete to do that.
