Drayk Bowen's Surge into Notre Dame's Defense Is Simple: He's a Warrior

ATLANTA — The greatest strength of these Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a physical and relentless defense.

Led by All-American lineman Howard Cross III and award-winning safety Xavier Watts, the Irish are stacked with veterans on a feisty unit. Notre Dame has yielded 14.2 points per game, the second-best mark in the country behind Ohio State, its opponent in the CFP National Championship Game.

That experience from Cross, Watts, sixth-year linebacker Jack Kiser and others is a main reason for ND's success this season.

But there are younger players on the rise—and a fitting place to start is Drayk Bowen.

A 6'2", 239-pound missile of a linebacker, he enters the national title with the third-most tackles (70) on the team, trailing only Kiser and Watts. Bowen, who largely played special teams as a freshman, earned a starting job this season and has become a pivotal part of an elite defense.

Dig beyond the stats, and the sophomore's ascent is no surprise. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden, with an intense glare, looked through my soul when describing him.

"Drayk Bowen is a warrior."

The praise was stern yet effusive, with compliments for Bowen's instincts, football intellect and physicality while making it very clear how much he cares—the 'Give a S— Factor,' Golden called it.

"He's an athlete first, and he's in a linebacker body," Golden said. "He was a prolific baseball player, great athlete in high school."

I can especially attest to the latter part.

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I remember seeing Bowen play for the first time.

It was an intrasquad scrimmage in August 2020, at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana; he was a sophomore and lined up at running back.

Bowen caught a screen pass, sprinted toward the left sideline, dropped his shoulder and trucked—and I mean totally flattened—a defender. He decleated that poor, unfortunate soul directly onto the turf, leaving him staring at the heavens while Bowen continued down the field.

I'll assume that former high school teammate tells the story of the time Drayk Bowen sent me into a different dimension. He probably remembers that ill-fated tackle vividly.

Because, buddy, I haven't forgotten it, either.

At that moment in 2020, Bowen had recently received his first scholarship offer. It was from Cincinnati, a fast-rising program with an emerging star at defensive coordinator named Marcus Freeman.

Funny how things work out.

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By the end of his recruitment, 27 more programs would extend a scholarship. But for Bowen, it was always about the Irish.

After receiving the offer in February 2021, the nearby 4-star talent committed to Notre Dame that November. Bowen quickly became a loud advocate for the Irish to other prospects during the 2023 cycle.

"He's a vocal leader now, same way he was in recruiting," Freeman said. "He's a big piece of that recruiting class."

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Bowen saw Auburn and Clemson on unofficial trips early in his process but ultimately was locked in with the Irish. Technically, the only other program he officially visited was also in South Bend.

In high school, after all, Bowen played third base and hit cleanup for a state championship-winning group. He's also a member of Notre Dame's baseball team, one of several dual-sport athletes on the football roster. The school's history—with Jeff Samardzija, Golden Tate and Cole Kmet, for example—played a key role in Bowen's commitment.

"I work with the coaches a lot," he told B/R. "I work with football, baseball, they work together so it's never too much on my body. They're always asking me how I'm doing, how I'm feeling. [The key is] knowing what I'm going to, when I'm going to it."

Bowen said his focus throughout the season is overwhelmingly on football. He tries to make a weekly stop at the baseball facilities to hit, but he's otherwise locked on a different kind of hitting.

Those collisions are demanding attention.

"His physicality jumps off—tough, hard-nosed football player, will really thump you," Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. "You gotta make sure you get a hat on him. He can key and diagnose plays really well. I've been really, really impressed with watching him on tape."

Cross echoed that sentiment.

"Anytime you see a Drayk highlight, it's literally just him running at full speed, no matter who's in front of him and then just lowering his shoulder—no matter if it's an offensive lineman or running back or a tight end," Cross said. "It's always fun to watch. He definitely is a symbol of what we want our tenacity on defense to be."

Bowen has provided 16 tackles for the Irish during their run to the national championship, making eight stops in last week's Orange Bowl victory over Penn State. His role has only grown as the season has progressed.

Michael Pimentel/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Now, aggression without knowledge can be wasted effort, but Golden and Freeman noted Bowen's intelligence and vocal leadership. That combination is evident when you notice him shouting pre-snap adjustments to motions or formations, for instance.

Against the Buckeyes, Kiser will be the main voice of the defense. Looking ahead to the 2025 season, though, it's easy to believe Bowen can command that responsibility.

The evidence, from his production and leadership to his preparation and execution, is all there.

Within a few days, Bowen's priority will shift from ripping apart blocking schemes to ripping line drives. He'll trade a helmet and shoulder pads on the gridiron for a glove and an aluminum bat on a diamond.

But first, there's a national championship at stake.

Notre Dame is the underdog, yet the Irish are built to win because of this defense. And right in the middle of it, between an All-American lineman and safety, alongside a linebacker with the most games played in program history, is a sophomore turning into a cornerstone.

We might just remember Monday as the moment Bowen, a tenacious warrior who gives a s—, truly introduced himself to the nation.

And if that happens, Ohio State certainly won't forget.