One of the nation’s top prospects made an all-night drive with family members from Indiana to Clemson for the Georgia Tech game last Saturday after his high school team’s game ended late Friday night due to a lightning delay.
The long trip was well worth it for Andrean High (Merrillville, Ind.) class of 2023 five-star linebacker Drayk Bowen, who came away very impressed by his experience in Death Valley after watching the Tigers defeat the Yellow Jackets 14-8.
“The atmosphere was wild. It was awesome,” Bowen told The Clemson Insider. “The fans and just the way everyone came together was incredible.”
Bowen (6-2, 215) toured Clemson during an unofficial visit in June, but Saturday marked his first time attending a game at Death Valley and first time on campus since dropping a top five last month featuring Clemson along with Auburn, Indiana, LSU and Notre Dame.
Saturday’s return visit gave Bowen the chance to spend plenty more time with defensive coordinator Brent Venables, while he got some face time with head coach Dabo Swinney on Saturday as well.
“A lot of it was that they were excited I was there,” Bowen said of what he heard from the coaches. “They really want me there and they think I’m a great fit for them and are excited that I made the trip.”
A two-sport star who not only shines on the gridiron, but on the baseball diamond as well, Bowen plans to play both sports at the college level and had the opportunity to meet with Clemson’s baseball staff on Saturday, too.
“They said I’d be able to play both sports at Clemson,” Bowen said, “and they really just took me on a tour of the facilities and were excited to meet me.”
Did Bowen’s latest visit to Clemson change anything about where the Tigers stand with him at this point in his recruiting process?
“I would say everything is about the same,” he said. “I want to go to all my visits and then go from there on who I like most and least and such.”
Bowen said the only other upcoming visits he has scheduled so far are to Auburn for its game vs. Georgia on Oct. 9 and Notre Dame for its game vs. Southern Cal on Oct. 23.
Bowen is ranked as the No. 2 linebacker and No. 28 overall prospect in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports Composite.
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