Class Impact: Elite LB Drayk Bowen Commits To Notre Dame

Breaking down how the commitment of Drayk Bowen impacts the Notre Dame 2023 recruiting class and depth chart

Notre Dame picked up a huge commitment in the 2023 recruiting class by landing Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean star linebacker Drayk Bowen. Getting Bowen in the class was a huge victory for the Fighting Irish coaching staff, and with Bowen being a two-sport star it's also a win for the baseball program.

Let's break down what the commitment of Bowen means for the Notre Dame 2023 recruiting class and the Fighting Irish linebacker depth chart.

NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT

Bowen is the sixth player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2023 class and the fourth defensive player. He joins a defensive class that already has elite defensive ends Keon Keeley and Brenan Vernon, and safety Adon Shuler.

Three of Notre Dame's four defensive commits in 2023 are graded out as a five-star recruit, the fourth is ranked as a Top 150 recruit.

Bowen is ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 28 overall player in the country on the 247Sports composite ranking. Vernon is ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 27 player in the country on the same list. 

Keeley is ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 5 overall player in the country according to On3 Sports. Shuler is ranked as the No. 121 player in the country by On3 Sports and No. 126 by ESPN.

After landing an elite four-man linebacker class in the 2022 the Irish coaches were in position to take as few as two linebackers in the 2023 class. With the numbers need not being as great the staff could focus on elite talent, and two players are clearly at the very top of the board. Bowen is certainly one of those players, so landing him gives the Notre Dame staff and linebackers coach (and DC) Marcus Freeman a must-get target.

Notre Dame will hope to pair Bowen with its other top linebacker target, and that would be Pickerington (Ohio) Central star Sonny Styles, another 5-star recruit and the No. 8 overall player in the country on the 247Sports composite ranking.

Notre Dame wants to add truly elite players on defense and bring in elite defensive groups. Landing Bowen to go with Keeley, Vernon and Shuler is an extremely huge step in that direction.

NOTRE DAME FIT

Bowen has the athleticism to play the rover position but his game and upside is that of a Will or Mike linebacker. He's built a lot like Drue Tranquill was during his career with the Irish. He's 6-2 but longer than Tranquill, and Bowen has a frame to be as thick, and likely thicker than what Tranquill was for the Irish. As he fills out I expect Bowen to quickly look more and more like an inside linebacker.

Freeman wants length, athleticism and power at linebacker and that's exactly what Bowen brings to the game. His size is above average, but his athleticism and power are elite. Bowen is an explosive athlete that gets downhill in a hurry and he has the range to play to the sideline. When he commits to attack the ball he covers a lot of ground in a hurry, and when he arrives at the football he arrives with power.

Adding more physicality is a must for the Notre Dame defense, which I wrote about in my most recent Midweek Musings, and Bowen adds plenty of that. He's not a Mike linebacker right now, but I could certainly see him becoming that kind of player down the road. He's got the size potential, he has the first-step explosiveness, he closes on the ball extremely well and his natural hand strength and power will allow him to be extremely good at block destruction once his technique improves.

His agility and balance are impressive physical traits, and when his footwork gets better his ability to scrape, flow and explode to the ball should allow him to make a lot of plays in the run game. Bowen has to improve his timing as a blitzer, but he explodes downhill, easily dismisses high school blockers and closes on the football extremely well. In coverage he has the athleticism to thrive but his footwork and ability to look up routes will need to be improved.

Bowen is a bit on the raw side, thriving on God-given ability and effort. He's still a young player that hasn't yet finished his junior season. He'll continue to improve from a fundamental standpoint, and as that happens and he gets more and more experience his game will truly take off. He is a legit five-star upside player that possesses the kind of athleticism and natural power you simply cannot teach. Once he improves in the areas that can be taught he'll have a chance to be a special linebacker for the Irish.

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Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame 2021 Roster
Notre Dame 2021 Schedule

Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Offense
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Defense

Notre Dame 2022 Scholarship Offers

Notre Dame 2022 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board

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