Nobody except Drayk Bowen himself could have predicted the ascent he would undergo in Notre Dame’s memorable 2024 season. Perhaps that stems from the fact that the 6-2 linebacker arrived at summer camp having missed spring practices due to playing on the Irish's baseball team. Perhaps it’s because Bowen delivered a modest 14 tackles in his freshman year. Or maybe it was because the Irish employed an already stacked linebacker room. Whatever the reason, Bowen didn’t let anything deter him from reaching his goal of becoming a mainstay in Al Golden’s defensive scheme. After 78 total tackles and a team-high three fumbles forced, including one in the National Championship, it’s safe to say that Bowen accomplished his goal.
Now, following the departure of sixth-year senior linebacker Jack Kiser, Bowen has set his sights on a new goal: becoming a leader. After opting not to return to the baseball team, the St. John, Indiana native has shown strong signs of answering the call through the first month of spring practices, so much so that head coach Marcus Freeman publicly declared Bowen as one of the Irish’s top leaders.
In his April 5th press conference, Freeman rhetorically asked and answered, “So what do I need from Drayk? Continuing to lead when it's necessary because people respect him cause he’s played high level defense for us. But also continuing just to be the best version of Drayk. Continue to improve himself as a player, helping guys get lined up, and correcting guys when they’re wrong.”
Freeman concluded his statement about Bowen stating, “My expectations of Drayk are really high, but his expectations for himself are probably even higher.”
Freeman’s assessment of Bowen is accurate. As a rising junior, Bowen has accepted the sacrifices that come with his newfound position, and has been growing into the role by leaning on the lessons he has learned in the linebacker room throughout his first two years in South Bend.
“Yeah, I just like I had to grow each and every year,” Bowen stated. “Being behind JD [Bertrand] and Kiser and learning how leaders are supposed to be, how you’re supposed to act and carry yourself, especially as a linebacker everyone is looking at you on the defense.”
Bertrand, who last played for the Irish in 2023, was a two-time captain of Notre Dame — one of 28 players in the Irish’s illustrious history to hold that honor multiple times. Meanwhile, Kiser was the heart and soul of Notre Dame’s journey to the National Championship and holds the distinction of the most games played in the program’s 138-year-old existence. Emulating two veterans who left an indelible imprint on the team is a wise move by Bowen.
The rising junior noted one key characteristic he picked up from the history-making duo.
“Kiser was never going to be late, he was never going to do the wrong thing,” Bowen said. “The way you pick your teammates up, the way you hold others accountable, just kind of all the good things about what leadership is. I feel like him and JD both really taught me that.”
Bowen’s progress hasn’t gone unnoticed by the defensive staff either. Notre Dame’s young, fiery linebacker coach, Max Bullough, has been singing his praises this spring.
“He’s now the head of the defense, the mouth, the commander and the leader of it, along with the other guys,” Bullough said. “They all played a lot of football and had equal snaps so I’m not anointing anyone. You talk about a guy who went from being a young guy last year to having to be in the front of the room and be a veteran and a leader in a lot of different ways. He’s answered that bell.”
It’s apparent that Bowen has followed in the path that Bertrand and Kiser forged. However, while leadership is important, so are results. Bowen feels he and the rest of the team have unfinished business after Notre Dame’s storybook run to the title game resulted in a bittersweet ending as the Ohio State Buckeyes emerged victorious. It’s primarily for that reason that Bowen decided to focus solely on football this spring.
In the midst of all the goals that Bowen is striving to achieve — from establishing himself as the vocal presence on the defensive side of the ball to beginning the quest of finishing what last season's team started — came one major change. Defensive coordinator Al Golden was offered a dream job in the same position with the Cincinnati Bengals. Understandably, Golden accepted the offer and left his post in South Bend with nothing but positive things to say about the “greatest 1,000 days” of his professional career.
Golden’s void was filled by Marcus Freeman’s hire of former Rutgers head coach, Chris Ash. This move left questions for Bowen on whether the defense he had become acclimated to, and the one he was trying to be the vocal stronghold of, would be uprooted. Luckily for Bowen, his questions have been answered in Ash’s first few months on the job.
“It’s pretty similar,” stated Bowen on his experience with Ash thus far. “He wasn’t lying when he was saying he was going to come in and keep everything basically the same. We got a lot of different things in regards to technique and zone drop and stuff like that. But it’s been pretty similar, and he’s very similar to Coach Golden in the way he coaches and the way he acts. It wasn't much of a change.”
The seamless transition between coordinators has put Bowen at ease, and his mind is now firmly fixated on elevating into a larger role in 2025 both on and off the field.
Ranked the ninth-best returning linebacker in the nation by Pro Football Focus, expectations are high for Bowen. But as Freeman put it, “[Bowen’s] expectations for himself are probably even higher.”
