Notre Dame Fighting Irish land another defensive commitment for 2023 in LB Drayk

Notre Dame earned a commitment from ESPN Junior 300 linebacker Drayk Bowen on Wednesday, giving the Irish six in the 2023 class.

Bowen, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker from Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana, chose the Irish over Auburn and Clemson. He is the No. 44-ranked prospect in the class of 2023, according to ESPN, and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Indiana.

All six of Notre Dame’s commitments for 2023 are ranked in the ESPN Jr. 300, with three ranked inside the top 60. Defensive end Keon Keeley is the highest ranked at No. 35, followed by Bowen and defensive end Brenan Vernon at 60 overall.

Defensive recruiting has picked up quite a bit at Notre Dame since the addition of defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman this past offseason; of the six commitments for 2023, four are on the defensive side.

Freeman has had a big impact on Notre Dame’s recruiting to this point, helping land six defensive commitments ranked in the ESPN 300 for 2022.

Freeman has done particularly well with linebackers — including Jaylen Sneed, Niuafe Tuihalamaka and Joshua Burnham in the 2022 class.

Notre Dame is now tied with Oklahoma for the most ESPN Jr. 300 commits of any FBS program in 2023. Georgia is next with five, followed by Florida and Texas A&M with three each.