Brisket, chicken wings, mac and cheese, potatoes, corn salad. Or as four-star class of 2023 linebacker Drayk Bowen put it, “all the good stuff.”
Bowen was well fed at Notre Dame’s “Grill And Chill” recruiting event on Tuesday. As delicious as the food might have been, there was obviously more to the visit for the attendees than grubbing out.
“We got to see Coach [Brian] Kelly talk about some of the more in-depth details that they do,” Bowen said. “We talked about some of the things they do competitively. So that was a really important conversation.”
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman and the rest of the Irish coaching staff are hard after Bowen, a four-star prospect from Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean High School. Bowen is currently rated as the No. 16 overall recruit in his class according to Rivals.
How badly does Freeman want to see Bowen in a blue and gold uniform? He sat the Bowen family down for 45 minutes to an hour to discuss why Notre Dame is taking four linebackers in the class of 2022 and what that means for the class of 2023.
“He went over the depth chart situation and where I would fit in,” Bowen said. “I thought that kept me really informed.”
Bowen said he left that conversation feeling good about where he stands in the eyes of the Notre Dame coaches. Freeman told Bowen he views him as a mike or will linebacker. The former is led by two seniors — Drew White and Bo Bauer — in 2021. The latter is led by a junior, Marist Liufau, and a senior, Shayne Simon.
Those players can’t stay at Notre Dame forever. The way the roster is currently constructed shapes up nicely for linebackers in the classes of 2022 and 2023 to make immediate impacts when they step on campus in South Bend.
The depth chart talk was also a chance for him to get closer to Freeman. Bowen said he has connected well with Freeman over the summer. Senior analyst Chad Bowden has also been instrumental in the recruitment of Bowen.
“I love Coach Freeman and Coach Bowden,” Bowen said.
Notre Dame only has two commits in the class of 2023. There is plenty of time for Bowen to make a decision. He has over two dozen offers to choose from, after all. Not all of those offers are created equally, though. Some are better than others. That’s the nature of recruiting.
The Irish should feel good that Bowen left his visit holding them in such high regard.
“I loved it,” Bowen said. “It was awesome. Notre Dame is still going to be up near the top of my list. I just need to see what my thoughts are and what my parents have to say.”
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